Let's Stay Together, Always
by NostrilsFlared
Summary: And though the scars of yesterday remains, you can keep living as you heart believes. This is how Kyo and Tohru decide to live their lives after they move out of Shigures house. I PLAN ON MAKING THIS A VERY LONG FANFICTION THANK YOU
1. Saying Goodbye

"It truly is a sad sight to see, watching them all leave me. Oh Aya! What am I to do once they are all gone!" Shigure cried, putting a hand on his brow. Ayame watched contentedly as Tohru and Kyo said their goodbyes. Yuki stood on the other side of Shigure, feeling happiness, but at the same time terrible sadness. They all had grown so used to living together, none of them were quite ready to leave one another.

"Oh, Kyo. Are you almost ready to go?" Tohru asked, beaming at him. Kyo smiled at her. Momiji leapt to hug Tohru, and she laughed. Kyo grabbed him by the collar, and pulled him off of her.

"Back off, Momiji!" He said, glaring at him. Haru laughed.

"Yeah, Kyo wants Tohru all to himself!" Haru smiled at Tohru, who chuckled. Kyo sighed, placing his hand on Tohru's lower back and gently pushing her out. The group followed them out, calling and crying their goodbyes.

"Oh don't worry, we'll come back and visit real soon!" Tohru turned and said, waving. She made eye contact with Yuki, who smiled at her, nodding. A tear dripped down her face. "But until then, take care everyone!" She called, still looking at Yuki. The two broke eye contact, and Shigure leaned in close to Yuki's face.

"Ma-chi?" He said simply, and Yuki glared at him. Shigure cowered onto Aya, who laughed.

"Goodbye, sweet Tohru! I can only hope that you will remember me as you cook for selfish Kyo! I shall miss you!" Shigure called, just as Kyo and Tohru reached their car. Tohru smiled at him one last time before getting in. Aya clasped Shigure's hands into his own.

"One can only imagine all the terrible things Kyo will do to her! We must stop them!" Aya cried, and the two of them took off after the car. Yuki grabbed their collars just in time though, and they gave up. Haotri appeared, ready to scold them. Yuki shook his head, walking to stand by Haru.

"He's selfish. Poor Yuki." Was all haru said before grabbing Rins hand and stalking off. Yuki's jaw dropped, but he pulled it back up. _I promised Machi I'd be back soon. _He thought, and went to say goodbye to Shigure. He took a look at the house he'd escaped to so long ago. He would never admit it, but he would miss that house.

"Wow, everyone looked so sad to see us go!" Tohru said quietly. Kyo glanced at her.

"You're sad too, right?" He said. Tohru nodded.

"I'm afraid I'm going to miss them all. But like I said, we'll visit!" She exclaimed. "I'm happy right now though. To be with Kyo." She said it like it was nothing. Kyo couldn't help but smile.

"Yeah, I mean I'm pretty happy too... to finally be away from that damned rat! Oh, but also to be with you, too." Tohru beamed at him.

"So this is it, huh? Our new home!" Tohru stood next to Kyo, bag in hand, gazing up at the medium sized house. Kyo shrugged.

"Yeah. Do you want to go insi-"

"Yes! Let's go inside!" Tohru shouted, running in. She dropped the bag she'd been carrying on the ground, and Kyo picked it up, smiling to himself about how cute Tohru was. He had found her, his girl. "Kyo! Come in and look at the kitchen! It's huge!" Tohru called.

"I'm coming." Kyo yelled. He walked in, a bit shocked at how big the house seemed on the inside. Kyo dropped the bags he carried in the doorway, following the sound of Tohru squealing. "Hey-" He started, but was cut off when Tohru jumped onto him.

"I love you Kyo." Tohru said, squeazing him tighter. Kyo couldn't breathe. He squeaked, and Tohru released him, blushing. "Sorry! I guess I didn't realize how tight I was hugging you, I'm so excited!" Kyo laughed gently. Tohru gazed at him with love.

"You know you don't need to apologize. I was fine. Oh, I love you too, Tohru." He mumbled, blushing. Tohru smiled.

"I know. But look!" She spun around motioning at the open kitchen. "It's so big!" She yelled, and her voice echoed off the empty walls. Her sweet, kind, caring voice. Kyo loved to see her so excited like this. He walked up behind her, hugging her. "Kyo?" She asked, and he sighed.

"I love you. So much. Please... stay." He whispered. Tohru looked puzzled, then she smiled warmly at him.

"Don't worry. I'm not going to go anywhere. I'm here. With Kyo! Kyo, who I love." She said, turning around and hugging him back. Kyo kissed the top of her head happily.

They spent the rest of the day moving boxes inside. That night, as they laid on their futon, it rained. The rain crashed down, sending streaks of lightning across the sky. It made for good cuddling, though neither of them were completely ready to sleep so close together. They'd only been together a few weeks, though they'd known eachother for years now.

**Hello! NostrilsFlared here! This is my first fanfic, I thought I'd write about something I'm comfortable with~ so Fruits Basket it was! I do not own Fruits Basket or any of the chracters. **


	2. Together

_"Kyo! Kyo!" Kyo could hear Tohru calling for him, but he didn't know where she was. He didn't know where he was. He was in a corner. He felt helpless. He knew she needed him and he couldn't help her. "Get up, dumbass." He said out loud, standing. As he stood, a wave of pain washed over him. He groaned, and collapsed. "Tohru... I can't... Help you!" He called, and Tohru's voice suddenly stopped calling his name so urgently. "Kyo? Can you...get off me?" _

Kyo opened his eyes, and the first thing he noticed was Tohru, literally under him. He rolled off of her. "Oh jeez, sorry Tohru!" He said, but Tohru just laughed.

"It's okay Kyo-kun. You're warm, by the way." She noted, blushing. Kyo held her face, tilting it up. He kissed her softly, and they both blushed. "You must have been tired, huh, to sleep to soundly! Oh, you couldn't be sick, could you?" She skwirmed, reaching up to his forehead to feel if he was hot. "Huh, no fever. Maybe you were dreaming of something good!" Tohru exclaimed, putting her arms up. Kyo smiled. He grabbed her arms and held them up, kissing Tohru's lips gently.

"Why dream of happy things when I'm here with you. Together." He said. Tohru looked away.

"Well, what's for breakfast?" Tohru said, bouncing off the futon and into the hallway. Kyo followed her, smiling. She was happy, he was happy. Everyone in their world, was happy.

"Yuki! How are you!" Tohru answered the phone happily. Kyo was at the dojo, as he was every day now that they had finished unpacking.

"I'm fine, Miss Honda. How are you? Kyo hasn't done anything stupid has he? Are you alright?" Yuki asked. He was in line at a takeout place, waiting to get something to bring Machi.

"Oh, no. Everything is a-okay! Our house is really big! I really like the kitchen- it's so big!" Tohru repeated. Yuki laughed quietly.

"Is that stupid cat around?" Yuki asked of his cousin, and friend. Tohru shook her head, then chuckled.

"Sorry, he's at work. Do you want to leave a message?" She asked.

"Oh, no. Just making sure everything is okay. We'll talk more later, alright Miss Honda?" Yuki was almost to the counter.

"Of course! You be good, okay? Bye Yuki!" Tohru said, hanging up. She was glad that Yuki was still caring for her, even after they no longer lived together. She turned around, and jumped. "Oh! Momiji!"

"I'm not interrupting anything am I? I'm not right?" He said, peering around. "The door was open and I heard Tohru talking so I just came in. How are you!" Momiji was running from door to door, opening and closing each one in curiosity. Tohru smiled, and motioned for him to follow her into the kitchen. "Wow! It's so big Tohru!"

Tohru smiled, spreading her arms out. "I know! It's wonderful!" She spun around a couple of times, then tripped and fell. Momiji caught her, and they laughed for a minute.

"If I'd done that a few weeks ago, I'd be a bunny! And you'd be on the floor!" Momiji laughed. Tohru smiled.

"So what bring you here today? Kyo won't be back until later, he's at the dojo. You're welcome to stay if you'd like!" Tohru said cheerfully. Momiji hugged her.

"Really? I can! I can stay?" He cried, and Tohru nodded, not seeing a problem with it. Momiji clapped his hands. "Yay! I'll go get my things!" He ran out, and came back with a huge, almost closet sized suitcase. Tohru stared at it, and whimpered. _So he was planning on staying all along._ She didn't know how Kyo would react to Momiji being there.

"H-how long were you planning o-on staying, Momiji?" She stuttered, pointing at the suitcase. Momiji paused, looking at Tohru.

"I'm imposing on you! Oh, Tohru, I'm sorry. If you'll still let me, I'd still like to spend the night tonight only, and then I'll leave, I promise! I'll even pinky promise!" He cried. Tohru forced herself to smile, and then nodded.

"Of course you can, Momiji! You can sleep-"

"I wanna' sleep in Tohru's bed!" Momiji yelled. Suddenly a hand appeared out of nowhere and clamped down on his shoulder.

"No." Kyo growled, home early. Momiji jumped across the room to behind Tohru, who shook her hands out in front of her in treaty. Momiji hid behind her, and Kyo couldn't help but laugh.

"Hehe, Is it okay if Momiji spends the night here for tonight only?" Tohru asked, relaxing a bit seeing Kyo laugh. Kyo nodded, but jutted a thumb in the direction of the couch.

"But he's on the couch." He said, standing firm. Momiji whimpered, and Tohru smiled.

"Welcome home, Kyo!" She said finally. Kyo brought himself to smile at her easily, and Momiji came out from behind Tohru.

"Yeah, welcome home, Kyo!" Kyo lunged at Momiji, giving him a noogie. Tohru watched, happily smiling.

The three of them had soup for dinner, which Momiji spilled on the table, and though Tohru cleaned it up, Kyo yelled at Momiji. _Some things will never change. I hope Kyo is one of those things. _Tohru thought.

Momiji and Kyo sat outside, after the sun had gone down. "Kyo, you're a lucky guy, do you know that? Having Tohru to come home to, saying 'Welcome home, Kyo!'. I truly envy you." Momiji said. Kyo looked at him.

"Yeah, I'm probably the luckiest guy in the world. But that doesn't mean that you'll be _unlucky._ You'll find someone, and they'll love you, and you'll love them. Sure, you might have to embarass yourself a few times, but it's worth it in the end." Kyo assured him. Tohru came out then, and sat in between the two boys.

"I am so lucky to have everyone. I am." Tohru said, though she hadn't heard a word of Kyos and Momijis conversation. The boys started to laugh, and Tohru started panicking. "Eh? Did I say something funny? Is something wrong?" Kyo just pulled her into a hug, laughing. Soon enough, Tohru joined in on the laughter, still oblivious.

Kyo didn't think about his dream much that day. It was obviously nothing more than a dream, his mind setting up a way to wake him up. Tohru was happy to see Momiji, that was all he cared about.

The next morning, Momiji took Tohru's hands in his own. "Tohru! Come with me! Leave Kyo alone, and come be with me instead! I'm more fun anyways!" He pleaded, but Kyo hit him on the head and sent him off. Tohru just laughed and wrapped an arm around Kyo. He kissed her cheek.

"Don't listen to a word he says." Kyo said, and Tohru nodded.

"Oh, yeah! Yuki called yesterday, just before Momiji came! He wanted to know if you were being nice to me!" She said, remembering. Kyo paused for a moment, thinking. _Yuki..._


	3. Finally Comfortable

Kyo walked inside after work. He'd been able to come home early. "Tohru? I'm home." He called, slipping off his shoes. There was no answer. He walked from room to room trying to find her. She wasn't downstairs anywhere, so Kyo went upstairs. He opened the door to their room and saw a sleeping Tohru. He smiled, and closed the door, heading to the bathroom.

Tohru sat up. She could feel something different in the house from before she fell asleep. She glanced at the clock- Kyo wasn't due home for another couple of hours, yet she felt like there was someone in the house.

Tohru tiptoed to the closet, and grabbed the first thing she could find, a coathanger. She looked at it. _It won't cause much pain... but it'll have to do!_ She thought, edging her way closer to the door. She stepped into the hallway, and relaxed. "So no one is here. Must be my imagination then!" She said out loud. She paused when she heard water running in the bathroom. She sucked in a breath and crept forwards.

Just then, Kyo bursted out of the bathroom. Tohru screamed, throwing the coat hanger at him. It hit his head, but fell, leaving no marks. Tohru had closed her eyes when she threw it, and was now running away. "Hey! Tohru! It's just me." Kyo said, running after her. Tohru paused, turning around and opening one eye.

"Kyo! You're- you're home early! Oh no, did I hit you? I'm so sorry!" Tohru was flustered. Kyo chuckled. He pulled Tohru closer to him and kissed her. She sighed, content.

"It's fine, I'm fine. You didn't know it was me, right?" Tohru nodded. "Besides, you were defending yourself. That's good. Even though it didn't work very well." Kyo put his hand on Tohru's head.

"I know! I just, grabbed the first thing I could find and thought 'well this will have to do!' and went to see who was here. I'm sorry I couldn't defend the house better." Tohru looked down, and Kyo laughed.

"I said it's fine. It was just me, anyways." Tohru looked back up at him, and smiled. "Hey- you haven't made dinner yet, have you?" He asked. The color drained from Tohru's face.

"No! I haven't! I'll start making it right now! I'll have it done in no time..." Tohru bounced around the kitchen until Kyo cleared his throat.

"Let's go out." He said simply. Tohru paused, and looked at him with her big, brown eyes. He smiled, and Tohru relaxed.

"Okay!" She chirped, and ran past Kyo, going up the stairs.

"Where are you going?" He called after her. She paused at the top of the stairs, and turned.

"Kyo, I'm still in my pajama's." She laughed, continuing to their room. Kyo sat on the couch, relieved that she hadn't argued. He wanted to take her out. They only saw eachother at home, and on Saturdays when he didn't have to go into the dojo. He felt like she spent too much time alone, and today proved that. He'd hoped that she'd be fine alone, but he realized now just how awful it must be, at home alone all day. Did she mind it? Was she okay? Knowing Tohru, she probably didn't notice she was alone. She probably just noticed that she wasn't with someone.

Tohru trotted down the stairs, wearing a long, blue skirt and a floral printed tank top. "The skirt it from Uo, and the shirt is from Hana." She took Kyo's hand. "Let's go!"

"Where are we going?" Tohru asked. Kyo shrugged.

"I don't know." He said, catching up with Tohru, who was a few steps ahead. Kyo sighed. He hadn't thought of what to do, or where to go. "Where ever you want to go, I guess." He rubbed the back of his neck. Tohru giggled.

"I don't know where anything is here! We haven't lived here very long..." She said, still cheerful. Kyo nodded.

"I know. Let's go..." He trailed off, until Tohru spoke up.

"There!" She pointed at an american fast food restaraunt. "It's american!" She exclaimed, taking Kyo's hand and pulling him towards the building with a red roof, and a giant arch that formed an M. Kyo could practically smell the grease. Why would she want to eat here? "It's something new to try!" She answered his question unconsciencely, and he nodded.

"Yeah." He uttered his agreement, and followed her in. They stood in line, looking at the menu above the staff's head.

After the ordered their food and sat down, Tohru stared at the cheeseburger (If you could call it that) that sat in front of her. Ky onoticed she wasn't eating. "What?" He asked, his mouth full. Tohru smiled at him.

"It's different than how it looked in the picture! Hehehe," She laughed, and picked the burger up, taking a bite hesitantly. After a moment of chewing, she laughed. "It's good though." She ate the burger quickly after that. The two shared a large fry, and then left.

"That was fun! I really liked that 'cheeseburger', it was good!" Tohru was happy to have eaten there, though she felt a bit queasy. Kyo and Tohru went to the park to walk, as they were in no hurry to get home. "Oh-I forgot to thank you for paying for it! Thank you!" Kyo sqweezed Tohru's hand happily.

"It's fine, not like I was gonna' let you pay." He said nonchalantly. "Hey... about earlier...I think that-" he was cut off by a siren that passed.

"Oh, I hope nobody is hurt!" Tohru said, covering her mouth in surprise.

"I'm sure they're all fine. Anyways, I have a question for you." Tohru looked at him, confused. Kyo walked ahead of her, and turned around to face her. "You... You spend a lot of time alone in that house." Kyo stated, and Tohru nodded, a smile on her face. Kyo huffed. She was so damn cute. "I've been thinking that..." He thought back to the time the two of them had sat on Shigures roof, and Tohru had shown an interest in learning martial arts. _Right streak! _Kyo had barely felt her fist, but maybe she hadn't even been trying. She could never try to hurt anyone. "I think that you should come learn martial arts at the dojo. So you know how to defend yourself." He spat, and Tohru stared at him for a moment before responding.

"Okay! It'll be fun to be able to see you all day." Kyo sighed, happy. He should have known she'd agree so easily.

"But I'm just letting you know, I'm not going to take it easy on you just because you're a girl... or because I love you." Tohru took his hand.

"I know! I wouldn't ask you to, either!" She looked so happy. Was it because she was finally able to see Kyo all day, or because she wouldn't have to stay alone all day? Or was it because she was eager to learn?

After the two went home, Tohru passed out on the futon, without changing. Kyo sighed, crawling in next to her. Their house felt more like a home now, since everything was unpacked. Kyo wrapped his arms around Tohru, and he felt comfortable, unlike that first night. Finally.

As he drifted into sleep, Kyo thought about how it would be like to have Tohru in the Dojo, along with his other students. It sure would be interesting, as he had no other female students. He knew Tohru would love everyone there, and they would love her too, but he also knew it would be hard to teach her something like karate. _She's a fast learner... it'll be fine. _He reassured himself. Tohru adjusted herself in her sleep next to him, and he smiled. Being with her... he was so happy. They were finally together, finally.


	4. Learning

**So Tohru is studying at the Dojo now... hmmm. This should be interesting. BTW just a little bit about me, NostrilsFlared comes from my strange ability to flare my nostrils to twice their size. I will be uploading alot, given that I am a neckbeard and spend legit 97% of my day on the internet, typing and reading. And laughing. I laugh alot. **

**I have no intentions of making this story short, and I hope that the story being long doesn't lead people to see it as being drawn out. Forgive me if I make any mistakes, be sure to correct me. I'm used to it, seeing as I was published on crappypasta. The people there are very helpful in their critics. ^.^ **

* * *

Kyo couldn't help smiling as he rolled out of bed. Today was the day that Tohru would come with him to the Dojo. They'd talked about it a lot, and had decided that she would come in three times a week, and only until 4 pm. That way she would always be waiting for Kyo when he got home. Kyo had his doubts about her coming, but she seemed so excited, and he had been the one to suggest it in the first place. He worried that, him being her sensei, she would get upset with him if he was too hard on her. But that worry hadn't lasted long, seeing as Tohru never got upset... out loud, anyways.

After Kyo was dressed, he tried waking Tohru up. She was a heavy sleeper, not one to wake up easily. Though at first Kyo tried to gently wake her, he ended up yelling her name loudly in her face. Finally, her eyes snapped open and she glared at him for a split second, though it was still long enough for Kyo to scurry backwards on his hands. Tohru sat up, now smiling. "Is it time to get up?" She asked, yawning. Kyo nodded, standing. He looked out the window for a second, no longer, but when he looked back at Tohru she was drooped over, asleep again. He smiled, reaching for her. He crawled in behind her and hugged her, and she moaned. "I'm tired." She said, obviously half-asleep. Kyo laughed in her ear, making her believe he'd say something helpful.

"You'll get used to it." He said loudly, and she sighed, slouched over. Reluctantly, she got up off the bed, but stood not moving about a foot away. Then Kyo heard snoring. Kyo's mouth fell open, and he pulled her back over on the bed.

"Ouch." Tohru winced as she hit the futon, and stood back up. "Just kidding!" She stuck a hand in the air. "I'm ready! I will try my hardest for Kyo!" She claimed, and turned to him. "You're already dressed. I should hurry!" Tohru started rushing around. She tugged off her pajamas, and Kyo decided to go find something to eat. Tohru gasped, pulling a shirt over her head and running ahead of him. "I've got it under control!" She cried, holding her hands up at Kyo, who laughed.

"You're fine. I can do it. Even though-" Tohru shushed him.

"No! I will make breakfast!" She laughed, moving on.

The couple sat eating breakfast moments later. "I could have made cereal." Kyo looked down at his bowl. Tohru laughed.

"No, I couldn't ask you to do that. Besides, I wanted to!" Kyo shook his head, chewing. Tohru looked thoughtful.

"What is it? Nervous?" Kyo joked, and Tohru smiled at him.

"Of course! But that's not what I was thinking about... I was wondering how everyone- Aya, Hatori, Shigure, Yuki, all of them- is doing. Aya is probably fine..." She trailed off. Kyo scoffed.

"You don't need to worry about those freaks. They're all probably fine. Hey..." He paused when he saw Tohru. She looked... sad. "What is it? Did I say something?" Tohru laughed.

"No, no." She assured him, but didn't elaborate. Kyo sighed, pushing his orange hair from his forehead.

"Is it that you miss living with Shigure and Yuki?" He asked, and Tohru shook her head. "Then what? Please tell me?" Tohru sighed.

"I just miss everyone, really. Not little things like living with you three," Kyo had to turn away. _Little things? That was the reason she's in this situation! _"But more just everyone's presence around me." She smiled.

"So... you're lonely when you're here alone all day?" It was more of a statement than a question. Tohru started to panic.

"Eh? No! Not at all! I'm fine when I'm alone, not lonely at all! Wait, that came out wrong. What I mean is that even though I'm alone, I'm not lonely, because I know that Kyo will come home to me soon. Besides, now that I'll be going to the Dojo with you, I won't be alone as often anymore." Kyo kissed her then, and she smiled and cleared the table.

"I have another question." Kyo leaned against the table, watching Tohru put the dishes in the sink.

"I'll do those when I come home today. What is it, Kyo?" She turned to him, smiling, with her hands clasped against her heart. Kyo tilted his head, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Don't get mad at me if I'm a little hard on you, okay?" He said quietly. Tohru laughed at him.

"Well that's not really a question, but okay! I could never get mad at Kyo!" She beamed at him. Kyo let out a breath of relief. He felt good about the day ahead.

"Gah, this is easy, Kyo!" Tohru said, hitting the bag that hung from the wall. Kyo couldn't help smiling, watching her. He turned his back to her, and faced the boy who stared up at him.

"Is that your girlfriend, Sensei?" Ozo asked. Kyo frowned.

"Yes." He said, turning Ozo, who laughed at him, around. Ozo reminded Kyo of a mix of Momiji and Hatsuharu. Most of the time, he was sweet and innocent, excelling in all sections of the Dojo, when other times he pissed Kyo off to the point he had to go outside and scream. It never affected Ozo though, who sometimes came outside and joined him in screaming, laughing. Kyo liked Ozo, even though he was about the sixth most annoying person in his world.

"She's really pretty. You should be more careful with her- anyone could steal her away at any moment in time." Ozo turned around, grinning. Kyo gritted his teeth. Ozo was looking at Tohru. "Look- look out!" Ozo called, making a diving motion towards Tohru. Kyo spun around, and found Tohru standing in confusion, fists still raised, looking back at him. Ozo stood back, pleased with himself. Kyo glared at him, and he scoffed, though ran away.

"Ozo!" Kyo barked, running after him. Tohru watched, and laughed, though the second he was out of sight she sat down. She had thought this would be more fun. But so far all she'd done was hit this heavy bag. It didn't even move when she hit it, though when Kyo hit it, as he'd been instructing her, it almost hit the wall a few meters away. She was actually really bored. But she would never say anything to Kyo. _You'll get used to it. I hope I do, for Kyo._ She thought, standing back up as she heard him and Ozo coming back. Tohru thought Ozo was adorable, and very perky.

It wasn't like Kyo didn't notice Tohru was bored, and having no fun. He just didn't _say anything_. He wanted to... but god, was he embarassed. Tohru was being so nice by not telling him how bored she was. He wasn't mad. He was _petrified_. She had shown an interest in something he was good at, and enjoyed, and didn't like it. Kyo was caught in the most embarassing moment of his life, and that was saying quite a bit. He was so desperate to impress her with this. Kyo suddenly felt the urge to send her home, even though it was only 1:30 pm. He considered it, then thought of how strange that would sound... like he was disappointed in the progress she'd made, which was almost none. Almost. She didn't notice it, but the punching bag swayed _just a little _when she hit it. Kyo wasn't nescicarily proud of her, but he was glad that she was making some effort.

"Kyo? You look worried. Is something wrong?" Tohru asked, putting her hands at her sides. Kyo shrugged.

"Not really. You can go home if you want. I think I'm going to leave early today." The words were out before he could stop them. Instead of looking hurt, Tohru looked relieved, sending a pang through Kyo.

"A-are you sure? I'm having a lot of fun!" Tohru forced herself to smile, sending another jolt through Kyo. He brought himself to nod.

"Yeah, go on. You've worked hard. I'll be back soon." Tohru nodded, but now she looked worried. She paused, halfway out the door.

"Kyo, are you okay? The color is gone from your face..." Tohru furrowed her brow. Kyo started, but recovered quickly.

"No, I'm fine. Probably just hungry." His stomach growled on queue. Tohru smiled.

"I'll go home and make food for Kyo then." She disappeared from his sight, and he heard a snicker behind him. Turning around, he glared at Ozo.

"She looked terribly bored, you know. _Uninterested, _entirely." Ozo grinned, walking past Kyo and out the door. "Since she's going home, I guess I can too! Bye, Sensei! I'll see you tomorrow, ya?" And Ozo was gone. Kyo was left standing alone. He quickly closed the Dojo and went home after that.

"Oh, you really meant soon, didn't you!" Tohru exclaimed as she watched Kyo sulk in. He leaned on the counter. Tohru was washing the bowls from that morning.

"Here, let me take over. You make dinner." He mumbled, and Tohru, instead of arguing, handed him the bowls and wash towel. She started bustling around the kitchen, humming.

"Today was... interesting. I'm not sure I made much progress though." Kyo hung his head, hearing this. _Don't lie to me. You were completely-_

"Bored." It was an accident, that he said it out loud, but Tohru's reaction confirmed it. She dropped a knife on her foot, jumping.

"Ow!" She cried, bending over and clutching her foot. Kyo put the bowls down and immediately helped Tohru to the dining room, where she sat at the table. The cut wasn't bad, but deep enough to make her bleed.

"Jeeze, be careful!"

"Sorry! I didn't mean to!"

"No, it's fine. Don't apologize. You don't need to lie either."

"I wasn't lying! It was an accident!" Tohru was completely flustered. Kyo sighed.

"That's not what I meant. I meant..." He couldn't bring himself to say it. He wrapped a bandage around Tohru's foot, thinking of what to do next.

"I- I know what you meant. I'm sorry." Tohrus voice was just above a whisper. Kyo looked up at her. He found himself reaching for her hand. He pulled her in, and kissed her deeply. She returned the kiss.

"You don't need to apologize. Wasn't today experimental?"

"Was it?" Tohru stared at him. Kyo shrugged.

"I mean, that's how I interpretted it." Tohru put her arms in the air.

"Me too! I didn't mention it though, because I was so sure I would love it! I love everything that has to do with Kyo, generally." Kyo clenched his jaw.

"You don't... you don't need to say that. I know it's not all true." He muttered, but Tohru gasped.

"I do! I really do! I love Kyo, and all his words, and everything about him. I love you, Kyo." Tohru was on the floor with him now, holding his face in her hands. She kissed him softly. "Your world is mine." She whispered, and hugged him tightly. Kyo was taken aback. He was learning things about Tohru, slowly, and steadily. They _were _living together, so that was normal.

"And I, love you, Tohru Honda. I have for so long..." The two of them were laying on the floor now, wrapped in an embrace. Tohru giggled.

"I know."


	5. Forgotten things lead to Guilty minds

**My crappypasta was really confusing at the ending, i realize that now, but anyways it's "I... was it real?" on Crappypasta. Feel free to read it if you want. It is really really confusing though, at the end. I'll try to not be confusing in this story.**

* * *

Saki and Arisa waved at Tohru, who ran from Kyo to them. Kyo sighed. _Another day of dealing with them. _  
"Tohru!" Arisa patted Tohru on the back. Tohru had a huge smile on her face.  
"You guys didn't need to come all the way here just to see me! What about Kureno, Uo?" Arisa shrugged.  
"Ah, he's okay. We had to see you!" She hugged Tohru. "Our darling Tohru."  
"Yes, we haven't seen you in so long... I was worried about you, you know. Living alone with that awful Kyo..." Hana glared at Kyo, who sat a few meters away on a bench. He cowered when Hana looked at him. "Tohru..." She turned away, hugging Tohru after Arisa.  
"He hasn't done anything to you, has he? Hit you? He isn't leaving you alone?" Arisa shook Tohru. Tohru laughed.  
"Well, I'm alone for a little while every day, but it's okay! Kyo has to work. I'm fine." Tohru assured Arisa, she was already talking towards Kyo angrily. Kyo was trying to scramble away, but was blocked by the back of the bench. "Really... Uo?" Tohru called after her, taking a step forward. Arisa turned around, smiling.  
"That's good that you're okay!" She said, and left Kyo on the ground. "Let's go!"  
"Food..." Hana took Tohru's hand and pulled her along, Arisa laughing and walking next to them. Kyo walked behind them, keeping his distance.  
"Where are we going?" Hana smiled at Tohru.  
"You'll see." Arisa laughed.  
"Why the air of mystery? Let's just tell her." Arisa nudged Tohru and winked, though didn't tell her where they were going.

XXXX

"Why did I have to come if you guys were just going to leave me out?" Kyo finally piped up. Arisa glared at him over her shoulder, leaning on Tohru.  
"Oh Tohru, you should come stay with me for a while. It might do you good to get away from Kyo for just a little bit." Arisa said, still looking at Kyo, who glared back, but kept his mouth shut.  
"I'd love to, but I need to stay here with Kyo." Tohru said, oblivious to it being a taunt. Arisa laughed.  
"Of course. Of course you do! Kyo wouldn't be able to get by, on his own." Arisa chuckled, and Kyo's skin boiled.  
"I could too! I'd be just fine living on my own!" Kyo yelled. Arisa gasped, looking at Tohru. Tohru hadn't heard, and Kyo thanked the heavens she hadn't. Who knows what would happen if she had.  
"It appears we have arrived." Hana interrupted as Arisa and Kyo began to argue. Tohru stood happily next to Hana, who didn't hesitate before walking in. Arisa pulled Tohru in after her, suddenly excited.  
"It's dark..." It was the first thing that struck not only Tohru, but Kyo as well. He didn't like this at all.  
"It's okay... the dark is nothing to be afraid of, Tohru." It was Hana that spoke, though in the dim light coming from the window, she was nowhere in sight. She was obviously guiding Tohru through the darkness, though Kyo couldn't see her.  
"I can't see a damn thing!" Kyo said, and was shushed by someone ahead of him. Kyo tripped on something. "Dammit! Why aren't there any lights on?" Another _Shhhhh!  
_"Happy birthday Tohru!" Arisa yelled, and turned on a light. Everyone stood quietly in the center of a room. Kyo facepalmed. Tohru looked shocked. Hana was already eating something.  
"Wha- how?" Was all Tohru could muster. "You remembered? But-"  
"Tohru, we're your best friends. Of course we remembered! We _always _remember!" Arisa laughed. Tohru was blushing.  
"Oh- erm, thank you! Thank you so much!" Tohru hugged Arisa, who shrugged.  
"Well, we knew this blockhead wouldn't remember, so we figured it out!" She motioned at everyone in front of her.  
"Sissy!" Kisa called, hugging Tohru. "Happy birthday! Happy birthday!" Momiji was next, then Yuki (who'd brought Machi, who stood silently in the back corner), then Kagura, and Shigure and Ayame (who brought Mine), Hatori and Kureno, then Ritzu, then Hatsuharu and Rin, and lastly, Akito, who took Tohru's hands in her own, and smiled. Hiro stood behind everyone, not bothering. Kyo was frozen, standing behind Tohru, completely shocked. He didn't even notice when Hana appeared next to him.  
"Oh, Kyo forgot didn't he?" She said quietly, so no one could hear but them. Kyo forced himself to nod. "Well, we didn't." Saki moved away, taking her turn at saying happy birthday to Tohru. Tables were set up around the room, and one was dedicated to pictures of Kyoko. As Tohru, Arisa, and Hana made their way over to it, Kyo felt himself gripping the back of a chair. _How did they manage to pull this off? How could I have forgotten? It's not like she made a big deal out of it... but still, I should have known that these two would-  
_"You forgot didn't you, stupid cat?" Kyo's thoughts were interrupted, and he spun around to face Yuki. Yuki was smirking. Kyo wasn't angry with Yuki though. He was angry with himself.  
"Well it's not like you remembered. None of us would have known if it hadn't been for Saki and Uotani. Bless them!" Shigure appeared to Kyo's right, in between Yuki and Kyo. Just being near Shigure right now pissed Kyo off.  
"I did too remember. I had it on my calendar. Unlike that stupid cat, I pay attention." It seemed like Yuki was trying to piss Kyo off. Kyo tried to think of a comeback, but for once in his life, was speechless. Shigure _tsk_'d at him.  
"Kyo, Kyo, Kyo. Of all people, you should have known at least when it was. It wouldn't have hurt to have gotten her something, but ah, you should know when her birthday _is,_ before you can get her anything!" Shigure teased. Kyo hung his head.  
"Yeah, I know." He muttered, taking Shigure off guard.  
"Admitting defeat! My, that Tohru _has _humbled you!" Shigure chortled. Yuki was shocked though, and simply stared at Kyo.  
"Kyo! Come look at all the food!" Tohru called, and Kyo breathed a sigh of relief. _Thank you, Tohru!_ He ran from Shigure and Yuki.  
"Yeah, there's a lot..." He muttered, now back to feeling guilt, not relief.  
"I'm just surprised Hana hasn't eaten it all!" She giggled, looking at her friend, who stood meters away, knawing on something quietly. Arisa was pestering Kureno. Kisa and Momiji lingered nearby to Tohru, ready to spring onto her whenever the need arose. Kyo felt sick...  
"Hey," He touched his knuckles to her head."Happy birthday, riceball." Tohru looked confused for a moment, then laughed.  
"Riceball with the baby plum!" She laughed, hugging Kyo. She leaned up and kissed him quickly, before joining Kisa and Momiji as they danced in a circle. Hiro was steaming at them from a distance, but when Kisa waved at him to join, he did so without question. Kyo had to smile.  
"I know everyone's been giving you a hard time for forgetting, but really, do you think she even noticed? Tohru is a bit of an airhead." Akito slinked up next to Kyo, Shigure in tow. Kyo tensed as she came close to him. "You know it, too. She didn't even mention it on the way here, did she?" Kyo didn't question how Akito knew this. "And you can't worry about her being mad, either."  
"You're right." Kyo said, standing up a bit taller. Tohru loved him, and he knew it.  
Tohru was having a great time. She was amazed that Arisa and Saki had pulled this off, and let alone remembered her birthday. This was the third year Tohru had had her birthday without her mother, but Arisa and Hana were there for every single one of them. They always remembered. Tohru didn't know how, but they did.  
Tohru hadn't noticed that Kyo had forgotten her birthday until Arisa had turned on the light and revealed everyone standing there. She had felt him tense, then start panicking. It was strange, being able to tell how he was feeling, even when she wasn't looking at him. Was this how Hana felt most of the time? Tohru would never ask out loud, but she wondered.  
Dancing with Kisa, Momiji, Hiro, and eventually Kagura was a lot of fun. Tohru didn't worry about embarassing herself. She was comfortable with everyone there. She had to talk to everyone, seeing as it was a party for her. Everyone seemed happy to see her.  
Everyone (except for Akito, Hatori, and Rin and Haru) was dancing at one point, and Kisa and Momiji were fighting over who got to dance with Tohru when Kyo decided to take her from them both, and the two danced. Ayame joked with Kyo that "You know Kyo, there's more than one way to dance with a girl!" to which Tohru laughed, misinterpreting it, and Kyo yelled at him, but blushed.  
As the party came to a close, everyone filtered out, slowly, until it was just Yuki, Kyo, and Tohru. Machi had left early, tired. She'd insisted that Yuki stay though, for Tohru.  
"Yuki, thank you for coming. It was great to see you!" Tohru said to Yuki, who smiled back at her.  
"Well if I hadn't come I was afraid that Miss Arisa would beat me up." Yuki responded, making Tohru laugh.  
"Oh, I don't think she could do that. But thank you for coming anyways."  
"Not at all. I was happy to come. I had to make sure Kyo was being good to you." Yuki chuckled, and Tohru glanced at Kyo.  
"I am! Why does everyone keep asking her that?" Kyo yelled. Yuki and Tohru laughed.  
"Because Miss Honda is so gentle, and you're... well how do I say this... not." Yuki teased, and Kyo sighed. He wasn't in the mood to argue.  
"I'm glad that everyone is worrying, but there's no need! Kyo is always really great to me." Tohru smiled, not understanding that Yuki was teasing him. Yuki and Kyo smiled at her. They stood in a triangle.  
"So... erm." Tohru didn't know what to say. Kyo put his arm around her.  
"Let's go home. You look tired." He said, saving her. She yawned, and nodded. Yuki laughed.  
"Then that's my queue. Have fun tonight, Kyo." Yuki laughed one last time before leaving them. Tohru looked puzzled.  
"What did he me-"  
"No."  
"Oh okay." Tohru laughed. Kyo smiled. "Let's go?"  
"Sure." Kyo took her hand in his own. "Let's go."

XXXX

Tohru started changing into pajamas. Kyo simply kicked off his pants and lifted his shirt over his head and crashed onto the bed. They were both worn out, having not planned to stay out so late.  
After a few seconds, Tohru crawled in next to Kyo. "I love you Kyo." She whispered. He moved a strand of her hair to the side and kissed her on the lips.  
"I love you, Tohru. Happy birthday." He responded, closing his eyes. He still felt awful for forgetting, but as far as he knew, she didn't know he'd forgotten. He'd get her something tomorrow, tell her that he didn't have time to give it to her that day. It was believable. He could say he'd had to play along with not having plans for her, then not expected to get home so late. He'd get it on the way home from the Dojo.  
Kyo Sohma fell asleep feeling guilty.


	6. Something's wrong

**You guys are awesome! Thank you for the positive reviews! Gah~~~! :D I know I said I would be uploading almost daily but hey, school dudes. I don't get home from tutoring until about six every day, and then there's my dogs... not complaining! I'll try to upload more on the weekends! It's not like I ever get off the computer anyways...**

* * *

Yuki knocked on the door that stood before him. It was Kyo and Tohru's door... he was finally visiting. It was the first time he had ever gone to see their new home. "Ah, Yuki, I'm coming!" Tohru called from inside, and Yuki heard her running down the stairs. He heard a _thud _and winced. "Ow." He chuckled when Tohru whispered to himself. She threw open the door, a big smile lighting up the area around them. "Yuki! Welcome to our home! 'Our' being mine and Kyo's, of course." She giggled. Yuki smiled.  
"Thank you for inviting me, Miss Honda." He stepped inside the ultra-modern house. Looking around, he slipped off his shoes. Tohru stood awkwardly behind him.  
"Ehhhh... Welcome." She repeated, and Yuki turned around to look at her. She looked healthy. Radiant. She smiled at him again. "I'm sorry. I thought we'd have things to do!" She looked down. Yuki laughed.  
"Let's _find _things to do." He offered, and Tohru looked up. She looked puzzled, and Yuki laughed. "When is Kyo coming home?" Tohru perked up, finding a subject she knew about- Kyo.  
"Well, he said he'd be home before you got here... but. He's not home, and you're here... oh! What if something happened to Kyo? I have to go find him!" Tohru started shoving her feet in her shoes. Yuki laughed, touching her arm. She jumped into the air a few feet, throwing her arms up. Yuki jumped back, shocked.  
"Miss Honda I'm sure Kyo is fine. He's quite capable. Besides, I'm sure he's just running a few minutes late. No big deal." Yuki smiled, making Tohru relax.  
"O-okay." She sank down on the couch, then jumped up again. "Oh! Tea!" She scurried into the kitchen, only to pop her head out a second later and say "Oh, Yuki, come look at the kitchen! While the water is boiling I'll show you around downstairs!" She nodded at him to follow her, and he stood in the corner of the large kitchen chatting with Tohru as she set the water on the stove. "How's Machi? You're living with her now, right?" Tohru asked, turning.  
"Yes. She's alright, tea in the sugar jar." He said, not making sense to anyone but himself. Tohru went along with it.  
"Good! I'm glad. Though I didn't get much of a chance to get to know Machi, I'm still happy that she is doing well." Tohru smiled. "I'll give you the grand tour!" She exclaimed, moving out of the kitchen.

XXXX

"And... this is the upstairs bathroom..." Tohru finished off the tour slowly. She had become flatter in tone and attitude slowly as they progressed through the house, Yuki occasionally commenting on the size or decor of each room. Kyo still hadn't come home. Yuki could basically _feel _the fear, care, and worry coming off of Tohru as she tried to get through the tour at least. It was an awful feeling.  
"Tohru-" Yuki started, but she started crying before he could finish. She didn't even notice he'd finally called her by her first name.  
"What happened to him, Yuki? Is he okay? I need to go find him! I have to!" Tohru was out the front door before Yuki could react. She'd flown down the stairs faster than he'd ever seen anyone run. After standing in the upstairs hall for a moment, he took off after her.

XXXX

It was warm, not raining, like the last time Tohru had run after Kyo. And this time, she was with Yuki, who had caught up to her quickly. Normally she would have worried about his asthma and told him to just stay at the house, but she couldn't think about that now. She ran as fast as she could towards the Dojo, the sinking feeling in her gut growing with every step.  
_Something's wrong.  
_She turned a corner and nearly fell on her face. Yuki's legs were in front of her own, and he hadn't taken the turn as slow as she had, and their legs got tangled. They both fell to the ground. Tohru would have laughed, had it been any other time.  
_Something's wrong.  
_She was on her feet again before anyone noticed the two young adults laying on the ground together. Yuki sprang after her, not in hopes of stopping her, but he knew. He knew Kyo would never say he would be home early and be later than usual.  
_Something's wrong.  
_Somehow Tohru managed to trip on her own feet, but Yuki caught her and pulled her back up before she could fall. She knew he knew she wasn't stopping. Not now.  
_Something is very, very wrong.  
_Tohru found herself at the edge of a crowd, gathered around an emergency vehicle. It's lights were flashing. Tohru had to stab her nails into her palm to keep from screaming at everyone to _get out of the way. _Yuki was moving ahead of her, reading her thoughts. She couldn't move from that spot. Yuki pushed through the crowd to see what- _who _it was. Tohru tried to slow her breathing. A few people cast glances her way as Yuki shoved people aside. Finally, he made it to a point where he could see. Tohru didn't need to hear him say it. The color drained from her face and she collapsed, conscious for only a second after she hit the sidewalk.  
Kyo had been run over.

* * *

**Ooooh~ cliffhanger! Love em! **


	7. Just keep Smiling

**I can't take it! I have to keep going with this! Gah! Anyways, I have discovered that I can't even google "Kyo and Tohru" without having le feels. I'm going to try my hand at drawing them together! Yah! Optimism! But, I think Tohru is the person we all want to be. We all want to be able to love and care for everyone else while only thinking of ourselves once in a while, and to be able to smile through everything. I tried it once, to be like Tohru, but the truth is, I'm more of a mix between Arisa and Saki... so I call myself Arisaki! Sometimes. I have a friend like Tohru, and I love her the way Arisa and Saki love Tohru. Couldn't live without her. If you find someone like that, who's real, keep them. Trust me, oh god, trust me. Keep those friends close.**

* * *

After Tohru fell, Yuki managed to get people away from her long enough to pick her up and run. He made no excuses, but took her from that spot. He brought her to the hospital, before the emergency vehicle arrived. How that was possible, he didn't question it, but handed her off to the nearest doctor and let them take her. Then he sunk down in a chair.  
Yuki didn't know how to react. Kyo... didn't look like Kyo, to say the least. None of his limbs were gone. He had quite a few broken bones, that much was easy to see. And Tohru... she was in terrible shape. She wouldn't be allowed to leave for at least a day. She wouldn't want to see anyone, except maybe Kyo, Arisa, and Saki. She wouldn't be able to see Kyo of course, but Uo and Hana...  
Yuki brought out his cell phone and began dialing. First he called Machi, and explained to her that he wouldn't be coming home for a few days. She understood. Then he called Shigure. Shigure's reaction was a solemn, "I'll come tomorrow." then he hung up.  
After Shigure came Hana and Uo. Yuki wasn't looking forward to talking with them, but he was the only one who could.  
"Arisa-san?" He asked into the phone, closing his eyes.  
"Yeah. What is it prince?" She barked back. Yuki sighed.  
"Kyo's been in an accident. Tohru fainted and she's in the hospital right now. I brought her." He sucked in a breath as Arisa began yelling.  
"Is she okay?" She said finally, her voice catching. Yuki had only heard that crack once before... when Tohru had fallen from the cliff.  
"She's in better shape than Kyo." His words were cruel, but Arisa had already hung up. Yuki didn't need to call Saki, Arisa would take care of that. _I won't leave until they do. _Yuki vowed, leaning back in his chair. His head hit the wall behind him, and he didn't mind it.

XXXX

Tohru woke up in an uncomfortably lit hallway, in a wheelchair. She sat up as the events of the day came back to her. "Is he alive?" She asked, and the nurse walking her raised an eyebrow.  
"The gray-haired one is fine." She said, and Tohru started weeping.  
"A-and the orange-haired one?" She muttered through her tears. The nurse sighed.  
"What orange haired one?" Tohru felt her chest sink. It felt like her heart had been removed.  
A commotion down the hall made Tohru jump, looking up. A stretcher was being wheeled towards them. "His hair! What color?" Tohru spoke before she thought. Did she want to know if it was him? As the stretcher passed her, Tohru craned her neck to see if it was Kyo. The nurse moved on, not answering her question. Tohru sunk back in the chair, giving up. She would find out soon. Yuki had probably already called Uo and Hana, and they would tell her. Tohru wanted to sleep. So she slept.

XXXX

The first person Tohru asked for was Yuki. "Ah, the gray haired one." The nurse had said with a wink. "He brought you in, all wrapped in his arms, and hasn't left since!" She seemed astonished. Tohru closed her eyes and waited for him. When she opened her eyes, he was standing over her, a knowing look in his eyes. Tohru started crying, and Yuki sat down on the bed.  
"He's...?" Tohru choked. Yuki stared at her. She felt that feeling in her chest again.  
"He's okay- alive." Yuki corrected himself quickly, and Tohru threw her arms around him. "You know, if it weren't for you, I'd be a rat right now." Yuki chuckled, and Tohru laughed as well, she was overjoyed knowing that Kyo was alive. She didn't care if he was in the hospital for a month, he was alive, breathing.  
Yuki never left her side, even as Arisa and Saki came and left. Tohru was only kept in the room for a day, then she was free to go. She asked the man in the hall, "How long until I can see Kyo?" and he simply shook his head and replied with "He's going to make it." to which she smiled, and she and Yuki went and got lunch at the fast food place, where Tohru told Yuki all about the Dojo, her experience there, the day she'd tried to kill Kyo. Yuki laughed at her stories, glad that she wasn't sinking into a depression. Though they stayed at the hospital every night, and almost all day every day, they often left to go to lunch, as the food in the cafeteria at the hospital was disgusting. They also went to Kyo and Tohru's house to shower, and while Yuki would bathe, Tohru would make them lunch, or dinner, or breakfast, or whatever. It wasn't really living, but it was doing something. While Tohru laughed and smiled, it wasn't as often as it had been before, and Yuki wasn't the only one who noticed. Saki mentioned it first, quietly to Yuki, who'd nodded. Then Arisa approached him, demanding that he keep Tohru's mind off of it. It seemed as though everyone was subconsciously relying on Yuki to keep her smiling. He didn't mind it, but he hadn't had a chance to talk to Machi for longer than a few minutes since it all started. He finally found some time to step aside and call Machi on the fifth day, when Momiji decided _he _was taking Tohru out for a while. Neither Yuki or Tohru protested, so the two went off, leaving Yuki alone.  
"Machi."  
"Yuki! Is everyone okay?"  
"Yes, Miss Honda is being very active now. They tell us we'll be the only ones allowed to see him when he wakes up. To be honest, I'm not sure I'm looking forward to it, but she is. How are you doing? Have you thrown everything on the floor again?"  
"Yes."  
"Oh, I love you."  
"Yeah, yeah."  
"I do."  
"Sh- shaadap!" Yuki laughed. Machi was much like a child in this way. She never just accepted it. "I love you too." She mumbled, and Yuki sighed.  
"I knew it."  
"Shut up!" Machi yelled, throwing her phone, embarassed. She scrambled after it, making sure Yuki was still there. "Hello?"  
"I'm here. You threw me again, didn't you?" He laughed as she let out a cry.  
"No." She denied it, though Yuki knew she had.

Meanwhile, Momiji was picking up on Tohru not smiling so much too. She usually laughed at most everything he said... now she just sort of lifted her eyebrows. "Stop thinking about it, Tohru." He said, trying to make her feel better. Tohru's lip trembled. She started crying quietly.  
"I can't just stop thinking about him. I can't, Momiji! I- he's... What if I had lost him?" Tohru broke down into tears. Momiji touched her hand gently, reassuringly. Tohru leaned on him, crying harder now. "I've been trying, I have! Not to cry, not to say anything sad. But, it's so hard! I need to see him!" She hugged him, crying into his shoulder. He was almost as tall as her now. Momiji listened, knowing.  
"I know, Tohru."  
"No you don't!" Tohru gasped, standing straight. She looked pained. "Momiji- I- I didn't mean... I'm so, so sorry. Please, forgive me! I didn't mean it I'm so sorry!" She apologized, and Momiji smiled.  
"You're having a rough time. It's okay! You'll be fine soon. And then we have to get ice cream with Kyo!" He laughed, pointing at a nearby ice cream stand. Tohru managed a smile, letting him grab her hand and run with her to buy ice cream. If Tohru had really been honest with him, she'd have said how much she just wanted to be left alone. She was grateful to everyone who came to stay with her, but it made her feel like a child again, having to be babysat. She didn't need a babysitter. Tohru could also tell that Yuki had pressure on his shoulders to keep her smiling, and though he did a good job at it, it wasn't something he would be able to do for much longer. Tohru was sick of faking smiles for people. She wanted to be alone, where she wouldn't have to smile and laugh.  
Momiji's cell phone was ringing when Tohru finished her ice cream cone. Momiji answered it cherrfully.  
"Yuki! How are you! I know it's only been a little while but- oh? Oh! I'll tell her! Bye bye Yuki!" He snapped his phone shut and pulled Tohru up, taking her trash from her and tossing it in a nearby trash can. "Come on, come on Tohru!" Tohru was confused.  
"What is it? Momiji!" Momiji stopped long enough to look back at her.  
"Kyo's woken up! Yuki's waiting for you, let's go, let's go!" He took off again, dragging a stunned Tohru along behind him.


	8. Disaster strikes again!

**Yaaaaaass come t o mE mY DARlinG ReviEWs**

* * *

Tohru was terrified to go in and see Kyo, finally. She had thought she would be ready, but now she was scared. Though Yuki held her hand, she felt as though she were alone. _What if Kyo doesn't look like Kyo. What if I lose it? _"I can't," She looked down, dropping her hand from Yuki's. He sighed, turning to her. They had been walking down the hallway, on their way to see him, when she stopped.  
"You can." Yuki said, in a way that told Tohru he was a bit scared too. They moved on.  
The same nurse that had taken care of Tohru was now showing them to Kyo's room. She didn't say anything, having put together how close the three young adults were (actually, Shigure had told her when he was there).  
When she stopped at a door, she nodded at Yuki, who turned back to Tohru. She looked as though she were going to turn around and run. Finally, Yuki grabbed her hand. "We're ready." He said without hesitation. The nurse opened the door and led them in.  
He had a broken arm and leg, and six ribs were broken. His skin was ripped open in various places. But he still looked like Kyo.  
Tohru fell to her knees next to the hospital bed. She had run out of tears that day, and thus couldn't cry at that moment. But she choked dryly, trying to find words. Yuki made no move to console her now.  
"Kyo- I'm so sorry! I...oh!" Tohru drooped her head onto the mattress. Kyo found himself smiling.  
"Why are you apologizing? I'm the one who didn't come home." He said. Though his injuries were bad, his voice was strong, steady. He nodded at Yuki. "Thank you." He said, and Yuki shrugged.  
"Well I wasn't going to just leave her here alone to wait for you to wake up. That would have been cruel." Yuki laughed, happy that Kyo was in high spirits. Tohru stared at Kyo.  
"It'll leave a scar or two, I think. But that's alright." Kyo said, noticing her eyes as the took in every scratch or cut that was on him. He moved his hand, and Tohru clutched it. He was worried about her, though he was the one in the hospital.  
"She fainted, you know. When she saw you. I had to bring her all the way here." Yuki said, almost mocking Kyo. Kyo looked back at Tohru.  
"Are you okay now? You didn't hit your head, did you? Let me see." Kyo held Tohru's head in his hands, looking at her face. "Just as I thought." He said, and the nurse started fussing around. She tried to look at Tohru, but Kyo didn't let her. "You've been crying!" Kyo cried, hugging Tohru. She couldn't speak, only let him hold her. He didn't let her go for a long time. Even with his arm in a cast, he was somehow able to hold her in his arms.  
"I- I'm okay. As long as Kyo is breathing and still mine, I'm okay." Tohru managed to sit up and smile at Kyo, who was a bit stunned. He smiled back.  
"Well then you'll be okay for a long, long time, because I'm not leaving for anything." Kyo tried sitting up, but winced and fell back onto his pillow. "Speaking of leaving..." He looked at the nurse, who sighed.  
"If you find yourself able to walk around your room any time soon, let us know. Until then, you're stuck here." She said sarcastically. Kyo sneered at her.  
"It's good to see that you are in high spirits, Kyo." Yuki said, crossing his arms. Kyo nodded.  
"So who all has come and gone?" Kyo asked, and Tohru immediately started listing off names.  
"Momiji, Shigure, Uo, Hana, Kazuma, Ayame, Hatori, and Kagura. I don't think Kisa and Hiro know what's happened yet. Momiji is in the waiting area, if you want to see him?" Tohru offered. Kyo chuckled, shaking his head.  
"I'll pass."  
"Okay!"  
"I do want you to stay though."  
"Isn't that a given?" Yuki interrupted, laughing. He was making to leave them alone. Kyo laughed too, and Tohru smiled.  
Tohru didn't leave for a long time. They talked about what she'd been doing while he was out. Tohru told him that she'd gone back to the fast food place, to which he laughed. He promised to take her out as soon as he was able, and she told him he didn't have to. He insisted.

XXXX

When Tohru finally left, she was happy. She found herself unable to stop smiling. Momiji met her in the hall. "How's Kyo? He's okay, right?" Momiji pestered, and Tohru beamed at him.  
"Of course!" She exclaimed, hugging Momiji, who laughed and hugged her too. The two decided to gather Yuki and go to the house, where Tohru would make dinner, as it was almost dark.  
As the three walked in the dark, they didn't talk much. The atmosphere was happy again, especially around Tohru. They found themselves laughing at nothing, and chatting about good things. Momiji and Tohru held hands and laughed, while Yuki walked next to them, close but not attached. Soon they reached Tohru's and Kyo's street, and Yuki walked ahead of the two. No one questioned it, as he was only a few steps in front. They reached the house quickly from there, and Yuki went in first. He stopped after he'd opened the door though.  
"Miss Honda... did you lock the door when you last left?" He said, blocking her from the entrance. She thought for a moment.  
"Why?" She tilted her head and Yuki sighed. Momiji put it together before Tohru did and pushed past Yuki. He froze, a gasp escaping his lips.  
"Oh, Tohru." He whispered, and finally Tohru burst in. She nearly screamed at the sight.  
There were scorch marks on the floor, and all the tables and furniture had been piled in the middle of the room. There were holes in the walls, and the entire wall in the kitchen had been removed. Doors were hanging off hinges, and windows were smashed. A few of the stairs laid detached from the stairwell, and floorboards were ripped up. And then there were the paintings. Red, black, and yellow paintings filled the walls with words in english. Tohru didn't care what they said. "Mom." She whispered, bolting up what was left of the stairs. Yuki and Momiji sprinted after her.  
They found her in what was left of her room, clutching a picture frame. They both knew what it was. "You know, I don't think I did lock it. Silly me." She laughed, a bit menacingly. Yuki was startled by this, and Tohru laid down on the floor. "I'm going crazy. I actually thought that the inside of the house had been destroyed for a second there. Hehe." She laughed again, and Yuki sat down with her. Momiji stood in the doorway.  
"Who am I?" Yuki asked. Tohru looked at him.  
"You're Yuki Sohma, previously the rat of the twelve zodiacs."  
"And who is he?"  
"He's Momiji Sohma, the ex-rabbit of the zodiac."  
"And you?"  
"I'm Tohru Honda, just a normal girl who was living in a tent before I met Yuki, Kyo, and Shigure." She replied.  
"See, you're not going crazy. Yes, the house is a bit messy, but it's not destroyed. The roof is still intact, isn't it?" He smiled just as a piece of the roof fell. He jumped, but Tohru laughed.  
"I guess you're right, huh? Though the bit about the roof is false..." She glanced behind her at the roof. "I wonder what happened." She thought out loud, and Yuki helped her stand. She still held the frame close to her chest. Momiji leaned into the room.  
"Who knows. We'll help you fix everything though!" Momiji smiled at Tohru.  
"Thank you. We should still eat though." Tohru fleeted down the broken stairs, going into the kitchen. She seemed better after talking to Yuki.  
Momiji poked Yukis arm. "Good job." He ran down the stairs. Yuki was pleased.  
Momiji found Tohru standing in the kitchen, looking puzzled. "All the food is gone... heh. I guess someone got hungry, huh?" Tohru turned and smiled at Momiji.  
"Then we'll just have to go out then." Yuki appeared behind Momiji. "My treat." He smiled warmly. Tohru's stomach growled. She was in no position to argue with him.

XXXX

They went out, then came back to the house. They decided to spend the night cleaning the downstairs. Momiji offered to restock the kitchen, but Tohru denied his help, saying that cleaning was enough. They sorted the broken furniture from the intact furniture, pushing the kotatsu aside. It had been in storage in a room upstairs, but somehow it had ended up in the pile. It was messy work, but they finished the whole of the downstairs before midnight. Then they made their way upstairs. The stairs had to be replaced, as the boards that had been ripped up were broken in two, or more pieces.  
By dawn, they'd finished the bedroom and the bathroom upstairs. The hall was still a mess, and the guest room hadn't even been inspected yet, but they were glad they'd gotten so much done. Windows were still broken, and doors still hung kind of crooked, but overall the house was back to normal.  
Yuki suggested that one of them stay at the house while the other two went to the hospital. Momiji volunteered immediately, saying he wanted to clean the backyard, which was littered with empty cans and plastic wrappers. No one argued, and soon Yuki and Tohru left. Tohru was eager to tell Kyo what had happened.  
When they neared the hospital, they found Uo and Hana, joined by Kureno and Kazuma waiting for them. Uo took one look at Tohru's clothes, covered in dirt, paint, and wood splinters and punched Yuki, who laughed. "The house was practically destroyed! Yuki helped me clean up most of it. Momiji helped too, he's keeping an eye on the house for me while I visit Kyo." Tohru explained, waving her hands at Uo. Hana smiled, hugging Tohru.  
"You're back." Hana smiled at Yuki, who was taken aback. He'd never seen Hanajima smile like that before. Uo looked at Tohru out of the corner of her eye, then sprung on her.  
"Tohru! Welcome back! We've all missed you!" Tohru was confused, but accepted the warm embrace. Kureno nodded at Tohru, silent. Kazuma looked agitated, which was unusual. Tohru went to him the second Uo released her and went to interrogate Yuki.  
"He asked about you." She said, holding her hands to her chest. "He asked if you were going to come see him soon. I told him I'd make you. So- eh." She looked down, but Kazuma laughed, patting her on the head.  
"You don't need to make me. I'll go, as long as you come with me. I'm a bit nervous." He leaned down and whispered the last part. Tohru straightened.  
"Of course!"  
"Wonderful. Thank you."  
"No prob-lem!" Tohru giggled.


	9. Developments

**Oh my god... this is the third time i've had to rewrite this chapter... I keep accidentally closing out of the tab I have open... dangit! It was going so well, too! I'll try to remember...**

* * *

Kyo was not happy to hear about the house.  
"_What do you mean someone broke in?_" He growled. Tohru ducked behind Yuki for protection. Seeing this, Kyo softened. "Er, uh... sorry. But, what do you mean? Is everything- gone?" Kyo demanded, sitting up and letting his legs dangle off the bed. Kazuma stood in the corner, observing their conversation quietly. When Kyo and him had been reunited, it had been a warm moment, before Kyo demanded to see Tohru. The first thing he'd noticed were her clothes, dirty and muddy. He'd pulled her into a kiss, then finally asked, and Yuki had interrupted with an answer. As stated, he wasn't happy.  
"Just that. There were only a few things that could be salvaged, and near all the windows are broken. I've already alerted the police." Yuki said calmly as Tohru peeked out from behind him. Kyo reached for her hand and pulled her into another kiss.  
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry, it's my fault!" Tohru began, and Kyo hugged her.  
"No, it's not. If I hadn't been in that accident we wouldn't have this problem." He sighed. "So it's not your fault it's mine." Yuki and Kazuma glanced at eachother, feeling out of place. They both inched towards the door, going unnoticed by either of the two lovers. When Yuki closed the door quietly, Kazuma chuckled.  
"They are truly _in love_." He laughed. Yuki nodded. Those two were in their own little world when they were together. They left them alone in Kyos little room.  
"But if I had been there, no one would've gone in!"  
"But you were _here_, waiting for me, so it's fine."  
"I-"  
"Shut up and come here." Kyo hugged Tohru. She buried her face in his shoulder. "Tell me what survived." He said, kissing the top of her head. She straightened, smiling.  
"Most of the roof. Except for in a spot in our room. A breeze will go through there until we fix it... we might need to move into the guest room for a while." Tohru was thinking out loud. Kyo kissed her again.  
"Anything else?"  
"Well, the couch has a big stain on it, but that can be bleached! I'll do that when I get the chance, too." She laughed as Kyo kissed her nose.  
"Tell me everything that made it." Kyo buried his face in Tohrus back, rubbing it softly with his one good hand.  
"The bed is fine, though we had to prop it up on a block of wood. It'll need to be fixed more sturdily, I'll do that as well." She paused, thinking. "Both of the bathrooms are still intact, though the bathtub had someone's hair in it." Kyo hugged her from behind. "I haven't even looked inside the guest room though, so maybe we can't move our bed in there." She looked over her shoulder at Kyo, who'd closed his eyes.  
"I'm awake."  
"Oh." They both laughed. Kyo sighed.  
"I love you."  
"I love you too."  
"What if you had been there. You could have gotten hurt."  
"Good thing I was here then, huh?"  
"Yeah it is. I'm glad you were." Kyo laid down, holding Tohrus hand. She smiled at him.  
"Are you hungry?"  
"Starving."  
"Well then we have a problem."  
"Problem?"  
"You can't walk and I have no money. Oops!" Tohru laughed. Seeing her like this... it made Kyo very happy. He pulled her down so that she was laying next to him, however uncomfortable it was. She didn't quite fit next to him, and his casts made it hard to move around eachother, but neither cared. Suddenly, a thought occured to Tohru.  
"How will your injuries affect working at the Dojo?" She asked, looking over her shoulder at Kyo. He snored, and she laughed. "I'll ask again when he wakes up." She said out loud. She stood, gathering herself and making to leave. As she stepped away, Kyos hand shot out and grabbed hers. She looked at him, startled, but he was still asleep. She smiled. Tohru turned around so she was facing him and knelt down, kissing him briefly before walking out. What she didn't see, was a smile on Kyo's lips.

XXXX

Hana and Uo insisted on going back to the house with Tohru and Yuki, and with them came Kureno and Kazuma. Momiji was waiting for them happily outside when they arrived, though he was surprised to see Kazuma and Kureno. He grabbed Tohru's hand and dragged her into the kitchen, declaring that it had been restocked. When Tohru walked in, she froze. "This is a bit more than restocked!" She cried. All the windows in the kitchen were fixed, along with the doors being straight.  
"It's okay, I know you love this kitchen!" Momiji beamed, and Tohru found herself hugging him. Yuki wasn't even surprised that Momiji had fixed the kitchen, along with the yards. Everything looked great compared to how it had looked before.  
"Well now we know the little brat isn't as useless as we always thought!" Uo teased, pulling Momiji's hair gently. Though they were closer now that Kyo and Tohru were living together, Uo, Hana, and the Sohma's were still careful with eachother. Like strangers that were slowly growing closer.  
Hana took over painting over the red in the downstairs, and Kazuma and Yuki took over stairs duty. Tohru and Uo cleaned the upstairs hallway, while Kureno and Momiji threw away trash and investigated the guest room. Working in teams, they finished quickly and Tohru made dinner for everyone. They ate, and Tohru decided to finally sleep there. Uo and Hana declared that they were staying too, as it was the first chance they'd had to stay over without Kyo being there. After everyone left, the three girls laid out blankets on the floor and fell asleep, proud of what they'd accomplished that day.  
When Kyo woke up from his nap, he was alone in the dark. He panicked for a moment before thinking _She must have gone home when I fell asleep. Good. _He sat up, making to stand before he remembered he couldn't. He sat on the bed for a while, thinking about the day. Before they'd all come and told him the news, he'd been thinking about Tohru. About their future. He wanted to marry her. He was going to marry her. No matter what, he would. He was set on it. After he'd recovered, of course. He laid back down, propping his head on his hands. He closed his eyes.  
"Hello Kyo."


	10. Going Home

"Waah! You're up!" Tohru held her hands to her face. Kyo was leaning on a pair of crutches, grinning. Tohru set her coat down on a chair and moved further into the room, making room for Yuki. Yuki raised his eyebrows at Kyo, who shrugged, but in the process nearly dropped the crutches.  
"You can leave now?" Yuki asked. Kyo tilted his head.  
"I don't know. Go get the lady and ask her." Kyo referred to the nurse. Yuki nodded and left to go find her. Tohru put her arms in the air.  
"You can come home soon! That's wonderful!" She sat on his hospital bed. "I'd almost gotten used to coming here to see Kyo." She smiled up at him, and he returned it warmly. He sat down next to her. "Everything is back to normal at the house, except for you not being there." She held Kyos hand.  
"Yeah, well, hopefully I'll be back soon. If not today, tomorrow, or the next day. I promise." Kyo smiled again. He had been waiting to leave this hellhole since he'd woken up the first time. The nurses gossiped about the orange haired boy, who was always grumpy and complaining, asking when he could leave, when he could eat. The truth was, he was only sociable around Tohru and Yuki. Whenever those two visited, he was more lively, and happier.  
"As long as you come back."  
"Didn't I just say I would?"  
"Well... yes! Oh, I'll make a big dinner for you when you come home."  
"With real food?"  
"Yes, with real food!" Tohru giggled. The food at the hospital wasn't exactly appetizing, but Kyo hadn't been able to eat anything else.  
Everything back at the house was back to normal. All the windows had been replaced, doors reattached. The damage to the roof was fixed. The bed had been properly fixed. The yards looked better than they ever had, thanks to Momiji and Kisa, who'd finally found out. Tohru didn't feel so alone when she was at the house, seeing as there was almost always someone there with her. A silent agreement had been formed that someone was to be at the house at all times, no matter what. Shigure had the shifts most often, for some odd reason. He spent days at a time at the house, insisting that he stay so Tohru could be with Kyo (he was really trying to avoid his editor).  
"Good. Help me?" Kyo made to stand again. Tohru stood, not sure how to help, so she held out her hands. Kyo steadied himself, holding her hand after he'd stood. "Thanks." He smiled, even though Tohru had done nothing. She knew it, but smiled anyways.  
Yuki and the nurse came in then, and the nurse gasped. "Why didn't you tell me he was up! Oh, sit down!" She started fussing around him, fluffing the pillow and adjusting the back of the bed. She looked exasperated. Kyo turned, stubborn.  
"You told me that when I was walking around this room I could leave."  
"I guess I did, huh? Fine, I'll go talk to doctor Ung. We'll probably need to do a few x-rays, but since you are up..." She smiled. "I've almost gotten used to your temper, Mr. Sohma." She laughed, and Kyo clenched his jaw. He watched her leave angrily.  
"I don't have a temper!" He yelled after her, though she was out of hearing range. Tohru laughed.  
"This is great!" She put a hand on Kyo's chest. "Now we know you'll most likely be coming home!" Kyo touched her head with his knuckles.  
"We already knew that."  
"Oh, I guess so!"

XXXX

There was a crowd waiting for them when they got home.  
"I thought we agreed no one other than Yuki."  
"I thought we did too! I didn't know!"  
"Well, did you tell them I was coming home _today_?"  
"Yes... but it wasn't me who invited them." Tohru looked terrified. Shigure appeared next to them.  
"No, I did! It was me!" He sounded like a child that had just gotten caught after he'd pulled a bad prank. Kyo glared at him. Yuki grabbed Shigures ear, pulling him away to scold him. If he was going to act like a child, he was going to be treated like one.  
"Sissy!" Kisa leapt onto Tohru, wrapping her arms and legs around her in a hug. Tohru held her up, stunned.  
"Kisa- hi!" Hostess mode was suddenly turned on in Tohrus body. She walked off, leaving Kyo at the edge of the yard. He stood in silence for a moment before swinging after her on his crutches.  
Kyo just wanted to sleep in his own bed, eat real food, and talk to Tohru all day. He was stuck socializing though, even if it was just the Sohma's and company (company being Hana, Uo, and Machi). He didn't appreciate it at all, not this time. During the time everyone was there, he often found himself alone in a corner, sitting, even though they were supposedly all there to see _him_ home. Kyo hadn't seen the house in disarray, but had heard about it, and now, sitting in the dining room of his own house, he could see little details that had been left out. There were spots along the trims of the walls that had paint splattered on them, a nail or two laid on the ground, the stairs were looser. It made him feel uneasy. He didn't like it.  
"Kyo, you are being so antisocial!" Shigure came to pester him every few minutes. "Tell me Kyo, how is Tohru. She's so busy with everyone else, I didn't want to bother her." He smiled slyly. Kyo glared at him.  
"Go ask someone else, dammit. I don't wanna' talk to you right now, Shigure." Kyo turned away, resting his head in his hands. Shigure gasped.  
"You didn't have alternative plans for today did you?"  
"No, not really."  
"I'm sorry to have ruined your day then." Shigure stood from his chair and walked away, probably to find Ayame. Kyo gazed at Tohru across the room, chatting with Akito. She turned, and caught Kyo's eye. She winked, smiling, and went back to talking to Akito, who noticed their eye contact but said nothing. She and Tohru were friendly, but not quite friends.  
As it became dark, everyone filtered out. The last people there were Shigure and Yuki, and Tohru laughed. "Almost like old times! Almost like the beginning again." The four thought for a moment of the beginning. It was so long ago.  
"Not really." Kyo said, and they laughed. Shigure left, then Yuki, and for the first time in a long time, Kyo and Tohru were left alone, in their own home. Kyo finally turned to Tohru.  
"I'll start cooking!" Tohru smiled, scurrying off, having read his mind before he even opened his mouth. He looked down at his leg, still in a cast. He was useless now, at least for a little while. He hated it. "Oh, Kyo, come talk with me while I cook!" Kyo hobbled into the kitchen. He sat on a counter, watching Tohru move around with such ease. "I asked you once before, but I think you were asleep! How do you think your injuries will affect working at the Dojo?" She paused, tilting her head at him. The color drained from his face.  
"I guess I really am useless for now. Dammit." He rubbed the back of his neck. Tohru put her hands on his knees and looked up at him.  
"It's alright, I can work! I will support the household!" She had that determined look on her face. Kyo kissed her forehead.  
"As soon as I'm out of this thing I'll take over again, got it?" He watched her move around again.  
"Got it!" She squeaked, moving something into the oven. Good smells wafted around the house.

XXXX

After Kyo ate (Tohru wasn't hungry, and only made enough for him anyways), Tohru helped him up the stairs and into bed. She crawled in next to him after changing, and he immediately wrapped his arms around her. They'd been living together in that house for about five months now. They'd been living together for over three years though. Kyo really only trusted her. It was her who'd been there everyday, her who'd read his mind and made real food for him. Her who'd volunteered to help support them without hesitation. She was his world. He wanted to make sure that she stayed his forever. He'd ask her the second his leg was out of the cast.


	11. Extra: A meeting!

**Sorry for not updating for a few days... Sorry! Sorry, sorry. I haven't been getting home until late, and I have a huge project due soon... enough about that though! We shall continue, this time with a new character... some of you may recognize him from another anime, but don't sweat it if you don't!**

* * *

Hiro and Kisa sat at the small table in the dining room of Tohrus and Kyos house.  
"Where is she?" Hiro stood and walked to the kitchen. Seeing Tohru, he sighed, returning to Kisa, who'd watched him the whole time. "I'm going outside." He mumbled, going out. Kisa called after him, but stopped when Tohru came back in, holding two plates of food. She looked confused seeing Hiro leave, but smiled nonetheless, handing one plate to Kisa.  
"Where's he going?"  
"Outside. He'll be back soon."  
"Oh!"  
Hiro rolled his eyes. He closed the front door and began walking down the road. He kicked a rock. A second later, he heard someone wince. He jerked his head up, seeing a boy about his age, maybe younger, holding his head. He also noticed, that they looked a bit alike. He walked up to the boy.  
"What's up?" He said, as if he'd known the kid his whole life. The kid glared at him.  
"Just got hit in the head with a rock." The kid stood. "I'm Shiro. Nice shot." He stuck his hand out limply for Hiro to shake. Hiro was horrified.  
"Sh-Shiro?" He stuttered. Their names were so similar. "I'm Hiro." He finally took Shiros hand, blinking. Shiro sighed.  
"Our names are similar. We also look alike. Strange, isn't it." Shiro stated, a dull tone to his voice. He was also startled, but had no intentions of showing that to Hiro.  
"Yeah..."  
"You kick rocks?"  
"I guess."  
"I play kick the can with some high schoolers sometimes."  
"High schoolers?"  
"Yeah, I met them through some crazy guy who thought that calling girls pretty in mass made them happy."  
"Oh."  
"Yes. I don't know why I went to him, of all people... but it worked out in the end. I finally was able to spend time with her and make her happy." The two boys were walking along the road now, chatting. Shiro had picked up Hiros steps, mimicking them with all he had. Hiro was obviously the more athletic one of the two.  
"Her?"  
"She's gone now. Moved away."  
"Mine is still here."  
"Lucky."  
"I guess." The boys could relate to eachother more than they'd originally thought. "I am lucky." Hiro stopped, and Shiro turned.  
"Gotta' get back to her?" Shiro sounded like a grown man. Hiro nodded. Shiro nodded back, solemnly. "I get it. Later." Hiro was strangely intrigued by this boys story. He made a fast deciscion, not thinking of anyone elses priorities or problems. He wanted to know more.  
"Wait- wanna' meet her?" Hiro blurted. Shiro stopped, turning slowly. He smiled.  
"Why not." He walked back to Hiro, who admitted defeat to himself. He was interested in this kid. They were in similar positions.

XXXX

When they reached the house, Shiro paused. "What's her name, so I know."  
"Her name is Kisa." Hiro was suddenly defensive. Was this a mistake? Too late now, the two were walking up the sidewalk.  
Hiro opened the door to Tohru and Kisa hugging, laughing about something. Tohru had her back to the door, and Kisa had her eyes closed, so they didn't notice when Shiro followed Hiro in. Hiro and Shiro stood next to eachother, staring at Tohru and Kisa numbly. Kisa broke the embrace, looking at the boys. She simply stared for a moment, before opening her mouth and closing it like she wanted to say something. Tohru was the first to speak.  
"Eh? Twins!" She flailed her arms around pitifully, panicking. "Hiro twin! Hiro has a twin! What's his name?" She paused, bending down to look into Shiros eyes. Shiro glanced at Hiro.  
"I'm assuming Kisa is the other one?"  
"Yes."  
Tohru went back into panic mode, running around. Eventually, she tripped on a chair, falling face first over it and onto the floor. She stood back up warily, staring at the boys again. She looked at Hiro intensely, then Shiro, trying to put it together. Kisa walked up to Shiro.  
"This one has brown eyes. Hiros eyes are blue." She hugged Hiro. "This one is real." She told Tohru. Tohru nodded, putting her hands in fists in front of her. Shiro took it the wrong way and jumped backwards. Tohru gasped, dropping her hands. Finally she turned to Hiro, looking exhasperated. He shrugged.  
"That's Shiro. He's hanging out for a while. 'Kay?" He pushed past Tohru, motioning for Shiro to follow him to the back porch. Kisa followed too.  
"Shiro... why do you look like Hiro?" Kisa asked, leaning in to look at Shiro closer. "Up close you don't really look like Hiro though..." She said, almost over her shoulder. Shiro looked past her to see Tohru half-hidden behind the back door, eavesdropping. She squealed, disappearing behind it quickly. Shiro almost growled. Then he spoke.  
"I am also assuming she is just the maid." He stated it, hopping up on the wodden railing that surrounded the porch, crouching next to Hiro, who sat in the same position. Hiro snorted.  
"No, Tohru is... Kisa really loves Tohru. She calls her 'Sissy'." Kisa smiled.  
"Yes! Sissy is wonderful. She's really great." Kisa seemed to lose her train of thought, smiling off into the distance. Hiro nodded, not in agreement, but to show Shiro that's what he'd meant.  
"Where'd she go? What'll you call her... your...?" Hiro looked at Shiro. Shiro jutted his thumb at Kisa, who snapped to attention.  
"She looked like her- er, Kisa. She moved to Paris. She was my friend." Shiro answered the questions complacently. Kisa listened, tilting her head curiously.  
"It sounds like Shiro really liked her. What was her name?" Kisa smiled sweetly, and Shiro blinked a few times. For a second he'd seen _her _face. He shook his head, turning away.  
"Don't do that." He muttered, a shadow casting over his face. Neither heard him. Kisa was clambering down from the rail, having used a chair to climb up. Hiro rose, leaping at the chance to help her down. Shiro watched, unbeknownst to this kind of communication. After Kisa had gotten down safely, she smiled at Hiro, nodded at Shiro, then skipped away, probably to go find Tohru.  
"What were you doing here anyways?" Hiro finally asked Shiro, who in truth lived in a mansion a few blocks away. "Not many people live around here." Suddenly he put two and two together. "Your uniform... You don't live in that mansion, do you?" Shiro nodded, and Hiros jaw dropped. "And you're in Ouran?" Shiro nodded. Hiro was surprised, and impressed. "So Paris... why did she move so far?"  
"She never told _me._" Shiro leaned on his hand. Hiro copied him, grinning.  
"So you didn't tell her before she left."  
"Of course not, stupid."  
"Who's stupid? _Mine _knows." Hiro felt pride swelling in his chest.  
"Who cares, she's gone now." Shiro sighed, closing his eyes sullenly. Hiro quircked an eyebrow at him. "Anyways, it's almost dark. I should head home. Bye, Hiro-twin." He grinned, leaping down from the porch, a good fifteen feet. Hiro jumped down after him.  
"I'll walk you. Have you ever taken martial arts?" Hiro stuck his hands in his pockets, ignoring the complaining sounds Shiro made when he fell in step next to him. Shiro shrugged.  
"Never needed to. Bodyguards, duh." He said it like it was nothing. Hiro laughed.  
"You really expect to keep bodyguards with you for the rest of your life? What about now? It's almost dark, anyone could snatch you up right this moment. Or, someone could pick a fight with you. What would you do then?"  
"Assuming you have taken martial arts, you wouldn't let anyone hurt me." Shiro said smartly. Hiro was taken aback.  
"And what's the reasoning behind that?"  
"A hunch."  
"Of course, it's a hunch. Can't you do anything cool?"  
"I can play piano."  
"That's not cool."  
"It was to her." Hiro moaned. _I meant to me. Idiot. This guy is a huge idiot. _  
"It's not to me. Anything, anything at all, that would interest me?" Hiro widened his eyes. Shiro sighed.  
"No."  
"Dammit." Hiro sagged his shoulders as they walked in silence. He'd thought they'd have more to talk about. "Hey..." He looked to his right, where an old park lay. "Let's go have some fun!" He grinned devilishly at Shiro, who seemed interested to a degree. They veered from the dimly lit sidewalk, a silent agreement to hang out there.

XXXX

Hiro made a show out of being able to swing from bar to bar on the monkey bars. Shiro laughed, a laugh that sounded eerily like Hiro's own rare laugh. Shiro joined him, only falling on the second bar. Hiro smirked. "Smooth." Shiro sneered.  
"Yeah." He remarked sarcastically. Hiro watched him try again.  
"Oh... awesome!" Hiro ran off towards the wooded area behind the park. It was now dark, and the streetlights were far from the woods. Shiro didn't dare complain- this kid was daring, and Shiro felt as though he had to act more Hiros age. He was only in elementary school, and he guessed Hiro was in his second year of middle school. He didn't mention it, but Shiro was terrified of the dark. As he hesitantly followed Hiro towards the trees, he imagined creatures and people alike jumping out at him from the shadowy places.  
Without noticing, Shiro began swirving around the darker spots, and Hiro noticed. Hiro chuckled, tiptoeing into the shrubbery and backtracking until he was upon Shiro. He jumped out, screaming "Gotcha!" and Shiro leapt back at least three feet, screaming, then began running in the opposite direction. Hiro stood, laughing and chasing after him.  
"Shiro! Relax, it was just me!" He called, slowing as he reached the sidewalk. Shiro was nowhere in sight. Hiro shrugged, assuming he'd ran home, and did the same.

XXXX

"Shiro is missing!" Kisa slapped the newspaper on the table in front of a drowsy Hiro, who started. "You walked him all the way home didn't you? Didn't you Hiro!" Kisa looked panicked. Hiro nodded, closing his eyes. "You liar! We've got to find him! He's only in elementary school!" Kisa yelled, out of character. Hiro finally opened his eyes, and found a steaming Kisa glaring at him.  
"Why do we have to find him. He can find his way home, it's kind of hard to miss." Hiro sighed, closing his eyes again.  
"What if it was Hiro? You would have a whole clan of people you know out looking for you! Shiro only has stranger men, calling his name in voices he's never heard!" Kisa held her hands to her mouth. "What if he's been kidnapped?" The color drained from her face.  
"Why are you yelling so early, Hiro?" A sleepy Kyo stumbled down the stairs, investigating the scene. Kisa held the newspaper up in his face.  
"Shiros missing!" She yelled, blasting Kyo backward. He laid on the ground for a second before turning his head towards the stairs, where Tohru crept down in her pyjamas. Kisa ran to her, jumping into her arms. "Shiros missing! We have to help find him!" She said, quieter. Tohru looked surprised, then calm.  
"Okay. Where was he last seen?" She said, crouching down as she placed Kisa back on the floor.  
"Ask Hiro." Kisa folded her arms and turned her back on Hiro, who was shocked. He stood, reaching out for Kisas shoulder, but Kyo stopped him.  
"Where?" Kyo demanded, glaring at Hiro. Hiro sunk back on his heels.  
"That old park. I jumped out from a bush at him and he ran. I thought he went home!" Hiro cried, also out of normality. Kyo nodded, looking him in the eye.  
"Show me." Hiro had run out the door in a heartbeat, Kyo trying to keep up on his crutches. Kisa and Tohru looked at eachother, then out the door. They followed quickly.  
"It was dark- he's afraid of the dark!" Hiro called over his shoulder, not waiting for Kyo to catch up. It made sense. Shiro had been so tense while they played. Hiro had shrugged it off as they weren't exactly close friends, and he was timid around strangers. No. No, he was scared of the dark. How had Kisa known Shiro was only an elementary schooler? Hiro hadn't picked up on it. They were the same height. Was Hiro really that short- or was Shiro tall? He didn't think about it as he neared the park.  
Hiro pointed to the woods. "He ran in the opposite direction of those. So, that way." He swung his body around, quickly realizing he pointed at a warehouse. _Warehouses so close to mansions... and parks? What a weird neighborhood. _He thought, looking at Kyo, who stood contemplating. A panting noise came up behind them, and Tohru appeared, holding Kisas hand. She looked at Kyo like _Well?_ and he shook his head.  
"The best thing we can do now is tell the police where Hiro saw him last. We can't do much from here. I'm sorry, Kisa." Kyo looked at Hiro. "You," He moved forward. "What the hell were you thinking, Hiro!" He yelled. Hiro shrugged.  
"I was thinking, 'This kids house is the biggest one around. There's no way he could miss his own home, anyways!'." Hiro found himself screaming. Kyo leaned back, his eyes big.  
"Well now we have to tell the police. Good going." _Smooth. _Hiro thought about their exchange at the monkey bars.  
"You're so stupid, Hiro." A voice said. All four turned around, and Shiro crept out of the warehouse, laughing. "Where are the police? Wouldn't they've known to look here? I walk here almost every day. Everyone knows that." He smirked, nodding at Kisa. "Thanks for the help." Kisa smiled, perking up.  
"He deserved it for not making sure you were okay, Shiro!" She piped, and Tohru furrowed her brow. Hiro stood dumbfounded in front of the boy who looked just like him.  
"All we needed was a black and white picture of me, and you were fooled. Kisa's part in this was getting you all worked up, out to find me, panicking. All she had to do was yell and show the faux article." Kisa tiptoed up to Hiro.  
"I'm sorry Hiro. I just wanted to try something fun... like Hiro." She looked down. Hiro sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. He started laughing.  
"I've been tricked by an elementary schooler. How pathetic." He laughed, nodding at Shiro. "I knew it! You aren't as dull as you let on!" Shiro nodded.  
"I think I win, Hiro Sohma." Shiro laughed once more, and started walking down the road.  
"I don't think we're ever going to see him again." Kisa observed. Hiro nodded, taking her hand.  
"Yeah. Hey, you were good!" Hiro and Kisa started walking back, laughing and chatting about the joke. Kyo hobbled up next to Tohru.  
"What?" Kyo was confused. Tohru laughed.  
"You missed alot yesterday. There was that boy, Shiro, and he lives in that big mansion! And at first we couldn't tell if he was Hiro or Shiro, and finally Kisa looked at his eyes and they were brown!" Tohru smiled, though it made no sense to Kyo. "Oh, Kisa, Hiro, be careful!" Tohru called, trotting after them. She paused, turning around and waving at Kyo. "Come on, Kyo!" She waited for him, and they walked together.

XXXX

Shiro watched them walk away from a distance. Hiro wasn't a bad guy. He was loyal to Kisa. Shiro respected that. Shiro knew he would never see Hiro again. He had known it from the begining. It had been fun playing with him, but he was a Sohma. His family wasn't interested in the Sohma family, so he'd known it. The Sohma's offered nothing in friendship, nothing at all. The Sohma's were a burden to anyone not tied to them. Shiro had been surprised when he'd found out Tohru wasn't the maid... she wasn't a Sohma, that much was clear. Not yet.

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**This extra chapter turned out a lot longer than I intended... but I loved writing it so much... Let me know if you like seeing characters from other anime/mangas in this... I'll try and find a way to tie them in! I'm not taking suggestions for the main story, but an extra chapter with a cool crossover feel to it should be fine once in a while, right? :D Back to the main story, I know how it's going to go, I don't need suggestions. Sorry if it sounds rude but I need to be firm I guess. Glad you guys are liking it so far. It'll get more exciting soon, I promise. Hopefully. Heh. **


	12. This Peace Will Only Last so Long

**So now I'm back again... I'll be uploading as much as possible, but as you witnissed in the past week, there will be times when I simply can't get to the computer to write. Please forgive me if in the future I leave for a long period of time. **

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Tohru rolled over and gasped. Kyo wasn't next to her.  
She'd gotten used to waking up and finding him next to her, as he hadn't been able to go to the Dojo with his injuries. She didn't need to go to her part-time job until later.  
Tohru quickly remembered that Kyo was getting his cast off that day. She smiled, jumping out of bed and going to find him.  
She found him laying on the couch, an arm over his forehead. "Kyo? Are you sick?" She knelt down next to him, and he laughed.  
"No, not today. Today is too important." He moved his arm a little, looking at Tohru through one opened eye.  
"How long have you been awake? You look tired, Kyo." Tohru furrowed her brow at him, and he laughed again, kissing her.  
"Not long. I'm just... excited. I guess." He laid his head back down on the arm of the couch. Tohru shook her head at him playfully.  
"You should have woken me up, Kyo." She said, a faux stern tone on her voice. He moaned.  
"You were asleep. I let you sleep. Oh well." Kyo rolled onto his side, gazing at her as she laughed to herself. She stood, leaving him on the couch.  
"Food..." She mumbled, wandering into the kitchen. Kyo let out a breath, thinking back to the simple ring in his pocket. He'd been troubled over it, not knowing whether to get something extravagant or something dainty. Finally he'd picked a ring with a braided band, and a small diamond set in it. It would look nice.  
"Kyo- are you troubled?" Tohru stuck her head in suddenly, and Kyo jumped. She stepped in fully, leaning on one hip and folding her arms. She nodded. "Are you?" Kyo shrugged.  
"I'm thinking that it'll be weird getting back into the feeling of moving my leg. It's been in this thing for so long now. I know, it's stupid." He pressed a palm to his forehead. Tohru sat back down next to him, smiling.  
"Not at all. Something else? What do you want for breakfast?" She patted his hand, making to stand again. He grabbed her hand.  
"I'm fine. What about you? You've been working alot. Are you tired? You sleep like a log every night, so you must be. Not that I pay attention to the way you sleep." Kyo trailed off, mumbling about not sleeping and listening to her breathing. Tohru smiled, taking one last glance at him before going back into the kitchen, leaving him to mutter nonsense to himself.

XXXX

The couple looked at Kyo's now bare leg. It looked weak and frail, and awkward. Kyo stood, putting both his feet down. He took a cautious step, and feeling nothing wrong, he pumped his fist once. He stood proudly, finally free from the ugly cast. Tohru smiled, clapping her hands three times. "Kyo! You're walking! And you don't need crutches!" She exclaimed, throwing her arms up happily. Kyo hugged her, her arms still in the air. They fell around his neck, returning the embrace. Tohru kissed Kyo, a huge smile still on her face.  
"Eh, yeah. Cool." Kyo shrugged, and Tohru laughed. It was practically spelled out on his face that he was overjoyed. Suddenly he was quiet. Tohru tilted her head at him.  
"Kyo?" She felt his arms drop from around her shoulders. "Kyo." She furrowed her eyebrows. "Are you okay?" She stared at his lowered face for a moment, then he looked up, smiling.  
"I'm fine. Marry me?" He said as though he were saying something as simple as "Can we go home?". Tohru raised her eyebrows.  
"I think so." She said finally, smiling back. Kyo hugged her.  
"Well, that's good. Oh, here." He fumbled around his hands until he reached down in his pocket for the ring. Pulling it out, he took Tohru's hand and held the ring in front of her. She gasped.  
"It's pretty!" Kyo nodded.  
"Like you." He said, putting the ring on her ring finger, left hand. It was her turn to hug him.  
"I'm so happy." Was all she could muster. Kyo laughed, holding her close to him. He didn't to let her go, but he felt her move her hand up so that she could look over his shoulder at the plain ring. She smiled, burying her face in his chest. He chuckled, stroking her hair gently. He felt a tear dripping onto his shoulder, but it wasn't Tohru's, who's face was still smushed into his shirt happily. She jutted her head up, feeling a tear as well. "Kyo! Eh, why are you crying? Are you okay? I didn't-" He cut her off with a deep kiss. He smiled when it broke.  
"I'm happy, riceball." He smiled, one last tear falling. Tohru scrunched her face up in reaction to the name. Cute. Kyo laughed again, taking her hand. "Home?"  
"Home."

XXXX

Tohru laid on the bed, staring at the ring around her finger, inspecting every little detail. She found it profoundly simple, and she loved it. She'd never been one for flashy jewelry.  
When she'd called Arisa to tell her, she'd started screaming. "What do you mean you're engaged? He proposed? Did he do it right, at least? You said yes? Did he get a ring? Tohru!" Arisa collapsed onto her own bed, soaking it in. Tohru was getting married. _Tohru was getting married to Kyo. _It was strange, as the first thought that went through Arisas mind was _Finally., _though she could never say that to Tohru. Arisa was smiling, but made sure not to let Tohru know.  
"Yes, he got a ring. It's really pretty!" Tohru dug her nails into her palm to keep from squealing into the phone. Arisa laughed.  
"I'll come over in a few days. I'll bring Saki too. I have to go, Tohru. Be good, okay?" Arisa imagined Tohru's face.  
"Of course! You too!" Tohru giggled, hanging up contently. She'd thought that Arisa would've demanded that Tohru come to her house and stay forever. She was glad that wasn't how she'd reacted. Tohru didn't want to go somewhere else. Now that Kyo was working again- though shorter hours and only three times a week- she could spend more time at the house. She'd been able to leave her part-time job quickly, though she was assured by her boss that if she ever needed another job, she was welcome back.  
Now, as she lay on her bed, admiring the ring, she felt excrutiatingly happy. She hadn't given much thought to their future, together or apart, but now, she couldn't stop thinking about it. Kids? Tohru wanted children, but she didn't know if Kyo did. If he didn't want children, then she would not have children. If they did have children- more than one- they'd have to relocate to a new house, bigger than their current home.  
_Slow down. _Tohru scolded herself. They weren't there yet. Take it as it comes.  
It had been two days since she'd talked to Arisa. Tohru wondered how long it would be until she came. She didn't mind not knowing. She would be happy to see them when they came.  
Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard someone knock on the door. "So they're here!" Tohru jumped up and ran downstairs. As she neared the door, she heard more than a few voices. She slowed.  
"I thought they moved out! Why was he here this morning?"  
"Eh, he was probably just walking by. We didn't actually see him go in or out."  
"And the girl?"  
"No way he'd leave her home alone after what we did." There was laughter.  
"Not in this house, anyways."  
Tohru felt herself moving into the kitchen. One of the voices was female, but the other ones that had spoken were all male. Tohru felt panic kicking in, and looked around desperately for a way out. Seeing the back door, she lunged for it, but the front door was kicked open as she did, and she scrambled backwards, getting onto her hands and knees. She was terrified. Glancing at the clock, she saw that Kyo wasn't supposed to be home for another hour. _Can I hide for that long? I need to get out! _She quieted her breathing, glancing into the dining room, where a large group of both boys and girls stood. They weren't teenagers- they looked older than Tohru by about ten years. Tohru's pulse sped up, and she could hear her heart beat. _Shhh, hush! _Tohru looked at the phone, wondering if she could get to it. There was no way, it was in the living room, on the other side of the dining room.  
"- is it clean?" Someone was saying. Tohru felt herself deflate a little. _They know now! _ Scurrying backwards, she pushed herself away from the doorway and into the far back corner.  
"Hell if I know. Maybe someone new lives here."  
"If they do, I doubt they've been welcomed to the neighborhood." More laughter.  
"Aye, I'm going upstairs. Don't fucking mess with the stairs like you did last times, dogs."  
"Yes, Miss Jay." A younger voice piped up. Tohru's breath caught. This child couldn't be over thirteen.  
"Shut up, Kale! Don't need to kiss'er ass like that!" Someone bellowed, and the voice of Miss Jay laughed.  
"Who says? I kinda like having someone kiss my ass, Nake!"  
"Yeah, well you aren't in charge!"  
"Yeah, neither are you!"  
"Both of you shut up! You're giving me a headache. Have fun napping, Jay. Nake, fuck off. Kale, honey, why don't you go check the kitchen for something to eat?" A new female voice spoke up, and Kale trotted into the kitchen. Tohru pulled her legs a little closer to her body, though at a closer look the boy was skinny and frail- like you could blow him over if you sighed. Still, he was with _them_, and that meant all he had to do was yell and they would come running. Tohru put her head down, and before she realized it, she sighed. Looking straight up, she caught Kale's eyes, who stared at her in horror. He opened his mouth, but Tohru pushed a finger to her lips. Kale closed his mouth.  
"You shouldn't be here." He said after a moment.  
"Then help me get out." Tohru was surprised at her own boldness. "I'll leave, if you help me." Kale glanced behind him, then shook his head.  
"No." The word filled the kitchen loudly. "There's someone here!" Kale yelled, summoning the dogs. Only two males jogged in, glaring at Tohru. She sqweaked, as they were huge. The two biggest men she'd ever seen stood, looking down at her.  
"What do we do?" One said, and his voice was surprisingly high-pitched. Tohru looked behind them, wondering if she could run for it. The other man growled.  
"Let's take her to Wala." It sounded like _oil- lah_ when he said it. He reached down and grabbed Tohru's arm, and Tohru cried out. His grip was excrutiatingly painful. He lifted her off the ground, then set her on her feet. She looked desperately at Kale, who smirked.  
"I'm not just some kid. I'm with them, dumb girl." He sneered at her before walking into the dining room. A dog nudged Tohru from behind, and she stumbled forward. She reached over to rub her arm where he'd grabbed her. Holding her arm, she closed her eyes and continued moving into the living room, where the woman named Wala laid stretched out on the couch. The rest of the group had moved upstairs at some point, and so the five were alone.  
"Bejal, Neju. Go on." Wala sighed, sitting up and staring at Tohru with a slouch. "A girl? Why are you here alone?" Wala stood, moving closer to Tohru. She took her chin. "Come on, answer me." Tohru couldn't speak. She hung her head, wishing with all her might that someone would come help her. She knew that she had no hope of fighting any of the intruders off, not without help. Wala sighed. "I said, answer me, bitch." She hit Tohru across the face, and she fell. Wala shook her head. "Just tell me, and I'll stop." She hit Tohru again. Tohru braced herself against the floor, sagging her head as Wala hit her again and again. Finally Tohru couldn't take it. Crying, she spun around.  
"Kyo went to work! He went to work, and I stayed home, because the last time the house was empty, someone came and destroyed things! Someone came and destroyed _our home. _And we don't want it to happen again!" She cried, laying on the floor again. Wala smirked.  
"I knew that." She sat back down on the couch. Kale was casually facing the opposite wall, having turned away when Wala struck Tohru the first time. Now, Wala walked to Kale, shoving his shoulder. "What, don't like it? Want me to stop?" She kicked Tohru with her heel. "Didn't hear you say anything against it." She slapped Kale gently three times before leaving the room, and Kale followed her. Tohru pulled herself up onto her feet, glancing at one of the men who'd brought her in. He sat quietly on the bottom stair, watching Tohru.  
"I'm sorry." Tohru was the one apologizing. She backed up, making for the door slowly, but he stood, glaring at her again. Tohru froze, knowing he would be upon her in a second if she continued. She sat on the couch, trying to be as still as possible. Her back hurt terribly from where Wala had hit her. Tohru could feel something broken, probably just a rib, but it hurt. It hurt her terribly. And she was trapped.

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**Wow. A lot happened in this chapter. A lot. Uploading more chapters tomorrow- maybe two or three. Thank you for all the awesome reviews!**


	13. Resolutions

**This chapter took forever to write... but I'm back now, and I've learned my lesson about promising to publish chapters. I will upload as much as I can, but I do have things I need to get done. Forgive me. **

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Tohru sat on the couch, stunned. Her side hurt. The man that sat on the stairwell had fallen asleep, but still Tohru was afraid to move from the couch. She could hear Wala scolding Kale in the kitchen. She wished more than anything for a way out. She didn't care if she never saw the house again, in fact, she preferred it. _Well now we'll definitely have to move out._ She thought, looking around for anything useful. Her eyes landed on the unbrella stand by the door. She looked back at the man sleeping, and he snored. Tohru sighed. She reached a hand out for it, stretching from the couch. She still didn't want to move from it, lest the floors creak or she slip and fall and wake up the large man.

As her fingers finally brushed the long handle on the yellow umbrella, a knock on the door sounded. Without thinking, Tohru flew from the couch, flinging open the door. Arisa stood proudly, Saki at her side. Tohru crumpled onto the ground as the man ran up behind her. Arisa looked down at Tohru, who begged with her eyes for Arisa to help her. Arisa put it together quickly, lifting Tohru and turning around. She ran for the car out front, motioning for Saki to open the door. She did, and Arisa got in, still holding Tohru, who squirmed. "But- Kyo!" She gasped. Arisa held her shoulders.  
"Don't worry, we'll go get him. Kureno, go." Tohru noticed Kureno for the first time, sitting at the wheel. He nodded, driving away. Tohru looked out the window, watching the man, Kale, and Wala filter into the yard. Others slowly followed them, shouting. Arisa pulled Tohru from the window, looking at her face. "Hey, what happened? Who were those guys?" She looked at Tohru's face, making sure nothing was broken.  
"My side- I think something's broken!" Tohru cried, feeling a pang shoot through her side. She held a hand to it, clenching her jaw. Arisa moved Tohru's hand gently, pushing on the spot. Tohru cried out, making Arisa jump. "I'm sorry. I made you worry." She wiped a tear from her face. Arisa sighed, sitting back in her seat. Saki sat in the front, but backwards, so she could see Tohru and Arisa.  
"It's fine. Tohru, you worry so much. Let us take care of you for now. Let's find Kyo, then we'll call the police." She said, rubbing her temple. Kureno held a phone up.  
"Here, call them now, while we look for him." He said. He looked in the mirror at Tohru, who forced a smile.  
"Fine." Arisa snatched the phone away, dialing. She told the operator the information needed and hung up quickly, turning back to Tohru. "Hey, Tohru! Show us the ring the idiot gave you! We've got time!" She smiled, trying to distract Tohru. Tohru looked at her hand, at the simple ring on her finger. She held her hand up, splaying her fingers.  
"Oh, so simple..." Saki spoke up. She gazed at the ring.  
"Yeah, what's with that! It's not even big!" Arisa took Tohru's hand, turning it around and lifting it up and down to inspect the ring. Tohru smiled.  
"I'm happy that it's so small. A big ring would have most likely got in the way!" She giggled, for a moment forgetting the current situation. Then, as the brightness faded from her face, she sunk back down, sadened. "We'll have to leave. I don't think I'll ever feel safe there again. I'm just glad that Kyo wasn't home. He'll be upset when we tell him- oh! There he is." She looked out the window at the orange head. Kureno stopped in the middle of the road, and Kyo looked up. Saki got out, walking to Kyo calmly. After a moment, Kyo threw his hands up, yelling. Saki took his arm, pulling him back to the car. He got into the back, on the other side of Tohru. He didn't hesitate before hugging her.  
"Hey- I..." Kyo trailed off, unsure of what to say. Tohru chuckled. She leaned back.  
"You don't need to say anything. It's okay!" She tilted her head, smiling. Kyo sighed, ducking his head.  
"I should have been home today. I knew something would happen!" He hit the back of the seat in front of him. Saki didn't react. Kyo clanched his fists, and Tohru touched his shoulder.  
"It's okay, Kyo. I'm fine!" Tohru smiled again, leaning on Kyo's shoulder. He sighed, kissing her forehead.  
"Yeah, you say that, but you're not." He mumbled. Tohru shook her head.  
"Really! I'm okay, it's not your fault-"  
"Gyah! Stop trying to act like everything is okay! You don't need to do that with me!" He yelled. Tohru looked down at his hands. They sat in silence for a while.  
"I'm sorry."  
"No- don't be, okay? You shouldn't be apologizing." He put his hand on his forehead. He felt awful. He hadn't been home- again- and something had happened to Tohru.  
"We're here." Saki said suddenly, swooshing out of the car. Tohru looked up, seeing the flashing lights bounce off of the inside of Kurenos car. Three police cars were parked outside, and more could be heard in the distance. A man in uniform approached the group as they got out of the car.  
"Hello, I'm Officer Herald. We've been following this gang for months now. I understand that you have had a run in with them once before?" He said, referring to Yuki's call to the police a few months back. Kyo nodded. The man looked at him funny. _He thinks- oh- Yuki. He thinks I'm Yuki. Or that I'm someone else and that Yuki lived here before. _  
"Well actually it was just her. I was in the hospital. And they didn't meet in person. My, er- cousin, was taking care of her while I was there." Kyo said awkwardly. The man's face relaxed.  
"Right. So, we've managed to nab a few of them, but the leader- Wala Ortega- got away. The boy was with her, according to the dimwi- the men we caught. They refuse to tell us where she was heading, along with the rest of her crew." He looked at Tohru, who stared at the ground. Kyo turned to her, worried.  
"Tohru?" He asked, reaching out for her shoulder. She looked up.  
"Oh, the boy that was with them. He wanted to help me. But he said that if he did, she'd kill him. I guess I was hoping he would be okay." She chuckled, but the smile didn't meet her eyes. Kyo sighed, hugging her. She winced. He jumped back, pointing at her frantically.  
"Her- uh, the lady- her ribcage!" He rambled, and Herald nodded.  
"Come on over here. We'll let the EMT take care of you. Come on, it's okay." Herald smiled, reaching out his hand for Tohru. She didn't take it, but agreed to let the EMT take care of her. Kyo went with her, while Arisa and Saki turned to eachother.  
"It looks like he got it out of a claw machine."  
"It does seem a bit too simple."  
"It doesn't fit Tohru at all!" Arisa threw her hands up. Kureno held his hand to his chin, the way he did, trying not to say anything.  
"Yes, something more, feminine, would suite Tohru better." Saki said, looking down, deep in thought.  
"But Tohru seems happy. So I guess she likes it."  
"She loves it, clearly."  
"So we have no right to kick his ass then."  
"Correct." Saki peered up, looking at Tohru and Kyo, who sat in the back of the EMT, letting one of the assistants look at Tohru. They were all nodding silently.  
"Ah, I'm glad Tohru isn't hurt too bad. I would've killed that chick if she'd hurt Tohru that bad." Arisa pushed her hair behind her ear. Saki nodded.  
"I too, would have had to cause her great pain." Saki folded her hands together. "Shall we go? I've a great feeling our plans will need to be cancelled for a time." She looked back at Arisa, who nodded.  
"Let's go say goodbye." Arisa walked off, putting a smile on her face for Tohru to see.  
After they said goodbye and left, Tohru and Kyo went to the hospital. Tohru had two broken ribs and minor internal bleeding, which she would have to have surgery in order for it to be fixed. She knew this, and accepted it easily, a braveness in her that Kyo had never seen.

XXXX

"You're feeling better?" Kyo was the one sitting on the bed this time. Tohru nodded, smiling.  
"Everything is oh-kay! Well, except for the house... do we have to move, Kyo?" She tilted her head, curious. Kyo sighed.  
"I wish we didn't have to. You loved that kitchen so much." He joked, and Tohru giggled.  
"I can live without it! But... Kyo- what about mom?" Tohru asked, blushing. Kyo smiled. He pulled the framed picture from his pocket. Tohru threw her hands up, smiling broadly. As he handed it to her, an excited gasp escaped her lips. This made Kyo laugh affectionately.  
"Yeah. Tohru, we- we should move. At least a town away. We shouldn't stay here." Kyo hung his head. Tohru nodded though, taking his hand in hers.  
"Okay." She smiled, tugging his arm. He looked at her, unable to smile as bright as she did. "We'll adjust- together!" She giggled. Kyo sighed, nodding. There really wasn't much more to say.  
They left that hospital for the last time later that day. Tohru wasn't sore at all, surprisingly, and they were able to go back to the house and gather what belongings they felt nessecary. They left all of the furniture, and only took what they could fit in their car. They had arranged to stay with Yuki until they could find a house. It had been decided that they would move into the city where Yuki was studying, to be closer. It was a reasonable distance from the Dojo, so Kyo could continue working there.  
"Oh, did they hear anything about Kale?" Tohru asked at one point, while on their way to Yuki's apartment. Kyo raised an eyebrow, not sure of who she meant. "The little boy." Tohru added. Kyo shook his head.  
"No, him and the lady diappeared. They'll probably lay low for a while, if they're smart. But maybe the girl is in charge, in which case I guess she'd want to get back at it soon." Kyo said. Tohru nodded.  
"I suppose you're right! But- mmm. I hope he's okay. He really was scared of her!" She sat straight backed against the seat. They didn't talk for the rest of the drive.

XXXX

Yuki greeted his friends happily. He was glad to have them, as the apartment was much too empty feeling, though he would never admit it. "Miss Honda, how are you feeling?" He asked Tohru immediately. The news of her encounter had travelled through the Sohma family like lightning, reaching even Akito before Tohru's surgery had been over.  
Tohru nodded, smiling. "It was really nothing. I'm just glad everyone else is okay!" She walked in with Yuki, who guided her into a large room to the right of the kitchen.  
"It's not much, but I hope this will satisfy your needs for now?" He said humbly. The room was originally his, but he'd moved his things into the living room, which was closed off. Other than being the biggest room in the apartment, it was also connected to the small bathroom. It wasn't a particularly large apartment, but it was big enough for the three, as long as it was only for a month or two. Tohru shook her head.  
"It's fine, thank you!" She smiled. "It's going to be interesting, huh? Living all together again, even if it is only for a few weeks. Thank you, Yuki, for your help." The graditude met her eyes before she'd finished her sentance. Yuki laughed, the sound like quiet bells.  
"Of course. I'm glad to have you both." As Yuki stepped out of the room, he nodded at Kyo. "Do be sure to stay as long as you need." Kyo nodded back, watching Yuki leave.  
"So," Kyo dropped his bag that was slung over his shoulder. "This is it for now." He laughed, wrapping his arm around Tohru. She smiled.  
"Yep! Eh, I hope we aren't intruding! I would hate it if Yuki didn't want us here!" She cried, worried. Kyo chuckled.  
"He said he was glad to help us, I'm not questioning it. Neither should you. Let's just relax for a while. Here," He sat on the bed, waiting for Tohru to follow his example. She did, stiffly. "Let me see." Tohru furrowed her brow, then made an understanding expression when she realized what he meant. She lifted her shirt, showing him where the stitches were. It had been two days since the surgery. The stitches were gross looking, so Tohru hated changing the bandage over them by herself. As Kyo removed the bloody gause from the wound, Tohru winced. The hardest part for her was trying not to cry. Though Kyo had told her it was okay to, she felt she couldn't cry because of it. Kyo noticed her wince, and touched her shoulder. "You know you can cry if you need to." He reassured her calmly. She nodded, forcing a smile.  
"It's okay! I- I don't need to." She giggled, the laugh not real. Kyo shook his head slightly, replacing the bandage cleanly. He lowered Tohru's shirt, hugging her. She laughed, this time for real. "Kyo..." She trailed off, happy.  
"Hey- I love you." Kyo closed his eyes, burying his face in her shirt. Tohru smiled.  
"And I love you!" She said. They sat in silence for a while after that, trying not to bother Yuki in his studies. It would be nice living all together again for a while. And who knows, maybe it would last longer than any of them suspected...

* * *

**Was that some possible foreshadowing? I guess we'll find out hmmmmmm?**

**Thank you for the reviews, they are all so positive, it makes me smile. I am so glad that you are enjoying this fanfic. It gives me a sense of completion after reading the manga, since it had such a big cliff hanger.**

**Anyways, I'm back, and I am trying as hard as I can to upload as much as possible. Thank you for being patient with me, dears. **


	14. He Thought About it

**NostrilsFlared is back. Now we're getting into some interesting stuff. (rubs hands together menacingly) fufufu... i'm quite excited for these next few chapters. They'll be... very fun. **

* * *

Yuki and Kyo sat awkwardly at the dining room table. Tohru had insisted on making dinner, and wouldn't let either of them help. She claimed that she'd "Already accepted so much of their help" and it was her turn to help them, as they obviously needed it. They had been fighting quietly- because Tohru _had_ been taking a nap, but they'd woken her- in the kitchen, as Yuki had burned the noodles and wouldn't let Kyo touch anything. Tohru had tiptoed in, observing for a few moments before interjecting with the suggestion of _her _making the dinner. Neither argued much with her.

Now, neither of them could think of any conversations to be had. They sat, listening to Tohru humming happily, without uttering a single word for a long time. Finally, Yuki straightened his back, nodding at Kyo.  
"And so you finally asked her." It was more of a statement than a question. Kyo sighed.  
"I guess." Kyo understood what Yuki meant, not needing an inquiry.  
"That's a good thing for both of you, then." Kyo looked up at Yuki's face to a smile, genuine as the rain outside. It was a dreadful day, gray and wet. Kyo didn't feel amazing, yet Yuki was in the highest of spirits. Tohru didn't notice either way. It was just like her not to notice the weather.  
"It is." Was all Kyo could think to say. Yuki chuckled, standing. He went into the kitchen, leaving Kyo to sit alone. Kyo hung his head, listening as Yuki chatted with Tohru about her engagement.  
"Did he at least do it with a ring?" Yuki laughed, but was genuinely surprised when Tohru nodded, holding up her hand. She never took it off, the ring. She made a point of exclaiming at odd times how much she loved it, and this made Kyo happy, loving her more and more every time. They'd been at Yuki's apartment for a week now, and they were living as though they had never split apart from Shigure's house- who visited every other day, coming to pester all of them, though he never stayed for longer than an hour. Machi came and went at odd times, shy around Kyo and Tohru, though Tohru only wanted to befriend her.  
"He did! And I love it!" Tohru said now, proudly showing off the simple band. Yuki made a sound of approval, obviously meaning for Kyo to hear it. Kyo shook his head, resting it on his hand.  
"That's wonderful, Miss Honda." He smiled. Tohru turned back to the stove.  
"Oh! The water is boiling!" She busied herself with continuing the meal, shooing Yuki without saying a word. He walked back out of the tiny kitchen, sitting back down with Kyo. Though he smiled, he said nothing regarding the ring.  
After some time past, Tohru bustled out, carrying three bowls. "It's not much, but Yuki only seems to have a single kind of ramen." She apologized, setting them down. Yuki smiled, taking no shame in only having the easily made noodles. Kyo made no move to take them, and Tohru sat down happily in between the two boys. "Thank you for this food!" She smiled again, taking a small bite of the ramen. She forced herself to keep smiling, though the taste was bad and the boys were looking away from her. This was how it always was.  
"Miss Honda, a friend of mine from school was telling me about an apartment not too far from here that is for rent. Perhaps the two of you should go see how it is." Yuki turned to her finally. Tohru's eyes widened.  
"Of course! I mean, we've been here already for so long, we should probably start looking around for a new place to live. We can't stay with Yuki forever!" She smiled nervously, and Yuki chuckled again.  
"It's not that I don't want you here- in fact, I don't think I've had anything this good since we parted ways at Shigure's house- it's just that I want you to be as happy as you can possibly be, and I'm not sure you can be that happy living in such a small apartment." Yuki said gently, reassuring her. As Tohru calmed, Kyo rolled his eyes.  
"Yeah, I guess we'll go look at that apartment tomorrow. Don't worry, we'll be out of your hair soon enough." Kyo stood, going into their room. He let the door slam. It hadn't been abrupt, he had simply stood, nodding a goodnight at the two, and went.  
"Eh- aren't you going to e- oh, never mind!" Tohru smiled. It didn't bother her much when he left the room suddenly anymore. Now she sat silently with Yuki at the table. Neither of them made a move towards the ramen. It wasn't that it was poorly made, it was just soggy and gross all together- no matter how you made it. "Oh, Yuki. Are you doing well in university?" Tohru finally asked after a few moments of silence. Yuki smiled, nodding.  
"It's harder than high school was. There's more work. But other than that, I'm enjoying myself quite thoroughly." Yuki started thinking about university, and didn't notice when Tohru excused herself. He'd realized in that time that he had an essay to write, and made to excuse _himself _when he looked up, and Tohru was already walking away. He shook his head, moving on.  
"Kyo- are you feeling okay?" Tohru came in as quietly as she could. Kyo looked at her. He'd been staring at his feet, laying down. He smiled.  
"I'm fine- no matter what, I don't think I'll ever like the rain." He said, and finally Tohru understood why he'd been so mopey that day. She giggled.  
"Oh yeah." Kyo noted how cheery she'd been. She had only seemed affected by the sudden change for the first day, then she was fine. Kyo didn't want to bring it up- he felt like he owed her that at least.  
"Hey, we need to talk about something." Kyo sat up, pulling Tohru down next to him. She was immediately worried.  
"Did I do something wrong? What- could I have said something? I'm sorry if I did!" She was agitated. Kyo smiled. He kissed her, silencing her.  
"Not at all." He smiled at her again. She relaxed slightly, but was still tense.  
"Then what?" She was puzzled. Her innocence made Kyo feel awkward. He rubbed the back of his neck.  
"Well you do want to have a wedding don't you?" He finally asked. Tohru didn't hesitate before nodding excitedly.  
"Of course I do! That is, if Kyo wants one." She blushed, but smiled at the thought. She _really _wanted one, but would never admit it.  
"I- hm." Kyo struggled for a moment with his words. "I mean, I guess I do." He muttered, humiliated, even though it was only Tohru with him. Tohru craned her neck to look at his lowered face. She smiled when she saw his face. He was blushing loudly.  
"Heh. You're blushing." She teased him, giggling. He sighed.  
"Not like I'm the only one." He nudged her, finally noticing that she was too. She laughed it off quickly, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. "I love you, and we're getting married."  
"Yep!" Tohru smiled at him.  
"So, let's talk about it. The- er, wedding. I mean." No matter how hard he tried, Kyo couldn't say it without feeling awkward about it. Tohru didn't seem to notice.  
"Humm, let's start with who we should invite. All of the Sohma's, of course! And Uo and Hana. I don't think Uo would let me get married if she weren't there. Heh."  
"We- we should invite your grandpa." Kyo mumbled, and Tohru nodded.  
"Of course! He'll want to come for sure." She agreed.  
They continued talking about their wedding long into the night, and soon it became easy for both of them. They sank into each other's words, absorbing the idea of their marriage.  
When they finally went to bed, Yuki was also sinking into his own futon, which was laid out behind the sofa in the living room. It was late, past midnight. He'd stayed up, studying, until the equations and facts were spinning in his head, even after he closed his eyes for the night. Still, the thought of Kyo and Tohru's wedding hung in the air, haunting him. He was happy for them. The haunting feeling, he assumed, was excitement, something he hardly ever felt.

XXXX

"Well, that didn't go very well." Tohru muttered as they walked away from the histeric sales lady. During the entire time they had been inspecting the apartment, the lady had cried when they asked a question- she seemed a lot like Ritsu.  
"Ugh! We're still stuck at Yuki's apartment!" Kyo yelled. Tohru nodded quietly. She had her head down as they walked back to Yuki's place. She felt terrible for having to stay with him. She was afraid they were annoying him, even though it was just the opposite.  
"I hope he doesn't mind us." Tohru said quietly. She was being very quiet in general.  
"Hey." Kyo caught her hand. "Relax. He's more than happy to see us there. I'm sure he'll be glad to have real food too." Kyo assured her, referring to their plans to go to the store later that day. Tohru smiled at him.  
"That's true." She seemed to perk up a little bit. Kyo smiled, watching her bounce come back little by little.  
They found Machi rushing out of the apartment when they came back. Tohru tried to say hi, but Machi pushed past her without a word. Tohru looked hurt for a moment, then giggled. "She's in quite a rush, isn't she?" Tohru shook her head, laughing for a moment, then recovered and walked awkwardly through the door. They were guests, but they were staying for such a long time, and they hadn't exactly discussed whether or not to knock.  
Yuki's shirt was on inside out. Only Kyo noticed, though. He froze in the door for a moment, taking it in. Tohru waved at Yuki, still smiling, and went to their room. Kyo raised an eyebrow at Yuki-who blushed- but said nothing before following Tohru.  
"I'm going to change and then we can go shopping!" Tohru said over her shoulder, unaware of anything. Kyo thudded onto the bed, putting the awkward moment out of his mind for the moment. Tohru glanced at him. "I could go by myself, if you want to stay here?" Kyo sighed. Maybe if he just hid in the room until Tohru got back he could avoid any uncomfortable situations.  
"Are you sure? Don't you need someone to carry the bags for you?" Kyo sat up, talking to her as she tugged her shirt over her head. Tohru smiled.  
"I'm sure I'll be okay. It's not like I'm restocking the entire kitchen." Tohru stood, having finished changing. She turned around and faced Kyo. "Really Kyo, I'll be fine." She reiterated, seeing his face. He looked skeptical.  
He sighed again. "Okay." Tohru smiled again.  
"Good. You're either tired or not feeling good, and either one is bad. It's good that you stay here." Tohru nodded, making a decision. She wasn't letting Kyo come.  
Kyo watched Tohru stare into space, wondering if he'd made the wrong decision in agreeing to let her go alone. She was obviously thinking hard at something. "Tohru?" He said her name, bringing her back to consiousness. She snapped her head towards him.  
"I'm fine! Sleep, Kyo, I'll be back soon." Tohru moved out of the room quickly. She stuck her head in and smiled one last time before waving to Yuki and leaving.  
The room felt empty without Tohru there. Kyo lay frozen on the bed, trying not to move, lest a floorboard creak, or something fall, and Yuki notice and come talk to him. Which Kyo doubted would happen, but still held his breath.

XXXX

Kyo couldn't take it anymore. Tohru'd been gone for long enough now, why wasn't she back? Kyo's stomach growled, signalling once again how hungry he was. It had been doing so about once every few seconds for almost half an hour. Kyo had taken to pacing the length of the room, as silent as he could be. Which was kind of hard on an empty stomach.  
He held a hand to his stomach as another growled resounded. He moaned, knowing he'd have to eat soon. He tip-toed towards the door, listening for any sound of Yuki. He wanted to avoid any and all conversation with him about... what he'd seen.  
Kyo pushed the door open into the kitchen, jumping in shock when he found Yuki stretching to reach something on the top shelf. He leapt backwards, knocking into the doorknob behind him. He winced, jumping forwards again. He lost his balance, toppling into Yuki. They both fell onto the kitchen floor.  
"Stupid cat. Get off." Yuki sighed, flicking Kyo in the forehead before shrugging him off. Kyo stood up, bracing himself for any awkwardness.  
"I'm not the stupid one." Kyo murmered.  
"Yes, you are. There's nothing to eat, if that's why you are in here." Yuki turned his head and smirked at Kyo as his stomach growled again. Kyo sneered.  
"I just need something." Kyo responded, moving towards the fridge.  
"Don't open that-" Yuki tried to stop Kyo, but it was too late. The smell of rotten eggs and spoiled milk tainted the air almost immediately, and Kyo threw a hand to his nose.  
The boys moved into the living room, holding their noses. Kyo had taken the time to slam the door shut, but it still stunk. "I tried to stop you." Yuki sighed.  
"I didn't hear you in time." Kyo spat back.  
They sat on the couch silently for a long time. Finally, Yuki turned to Kyo, an almost friendly expression on his face.  
"You must have thought about it. Knowing you, more than once." He said, an innocent air to his words. Kyo scoffed.  
"I don't know what you're talking about." He looked out the window, uncomfortable. He did, in fact, know exactly what Yuki meant.  
"You know. I know you know, Kyo."  
"Yeah, and how do you know that?"  
"I know you." Yuki smiled. Kyo shook his head.  
"The only people who know me at this point are Tohru and Kazuma." Kyo mumbled.  
"How cruel. I actually considered myself your friend."  
"Well, now you should stop."  
"Ow." Yuki feigned hurt. Kyo ignored it. "Anyways, have you?"  
"Have I what?"  
"Please, you cat, don't make me go in another circle." Yuki begged. Kyo sighed again.  
"Wha- I mean I guess I have. Once or twice, no more!" Kyo huffed. He wasn't happy to be having this conversation. "Why do you care?" He asked. Yuki shrugged.  
It had happened three times with Machi. It had been awkward the first time. But this last time, it had been easy. Well, not easy, but easier. Less strange.  
"Do you have questions?" Yuki asked. Kyo shook his head.  
"No! No, no, no! Not for you, anyways." Kyo stood. "I'm going back to the room." Kyo bolted off. He'd had enough with the awkward.  
Yuki shrugged. "And here I thought we would have a nice bonding moment. He turned to the door as it opened. Shigure poked his head in. Yuki was at the door in a second, pushing it closed. "Miss Honda isn't here, go home Shigure." He said, shoving the door. Shigure sighed, sticking his foot in the door.  
"Yuki, it's rude to close the door on people. Especially Tohru and I." Tohru popped her head in next to Shigures.  
"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize I should have knocked?" Tohru smiled, and Yuki relaxed, letting Shigure in.  
"No, please, don't worry." Yuki noticed the bags in Shigure's hands. "I assume you two ran into each other outside?" Tohru nodded.  
"Yes, dear Tohru was carrying all these bags by herself! I couldn't bare to watch her struggle so." Shigure put in, dropping the two bags that he'd held into Yuki's arms. Tohru didn't have any bags. _All these bags... _Yuki thought to himself.

XXXX

Shigure stayed for an hour and 13 thirteen minutes, 17 seconds. Then he left, saying the same excuse he used every time he had to leave, that "Akito wants me back soon." After he left, and after Tohru cleaned the dishes, she disappeared into the room Kyo still hid in. He'd taken one look at Shigure, Tohru, and Yuki, all sitting together and bolted. He again, wanted to avoid Yuki, and now Shigure.  
Now, as Tohru came in and sat next to him, he lay on his stomach with his face in the pillow, thinking. He felt Tohru's weight sink onto the bed, and flipped over. He kept is eyes closed, sighing. "Tohru,"  
"Kyo."  
"Do you eventually want to have kids?" Tohru looked at him, surprised.  
"That was sudden." She giggled.  
"I know. Sorry." Kyo apologized, already regretting bringing it up.  
"No! Don't apologize. I've thought about it too." She smiled at him. "I think that I really do want to have children. I mean- erm. Heh. What... What are your thoughts?" She looked at her hands. Kyo nodded, taking it in.  
He took a long time to answer. "Yeah." Was all he said when he finally responded. Tohru knew what he meant. She smiled.  
"Okay."

* * *

**Good day to you, sir or ma'am. **


	15. It would be fun with Ayame and Mine

**I banged this one out, man, I'll tell you what. I really liked writing this chapter though. I really like how it came out, too. **

* * *

"Wait." Tohru held her hands up at Ayame. "What?" She was puzzled. Ayame had showed up at Yuki's, not knowing that Kyo and Tohru were there, and was now insisting that he take her away for a while.  
"Yes, Tohru, come with me and Mine! Just, come with us! We don't bite! Plus, it will be good for you to get away from those boys for a while." He waggled his eyebrows at her. Tohru tucked her hair behind her ear, glancing at Yuki and Kyo, who, though stayed silent, were completely against her going with him, as they always were. And always would be.  
"Well..." Tohru was trying desperately to think of a reason she shouldn't leave. "Don't you want to talk with Yuki? Isn't that why you came here?" She looked at Yuki, who suddenly wanted nothing other than for her to get rid of Aya. Even if it meant leaving with him. It wasn't that he was against trying to be... brotherly with Aya, he just wasn't in the mood that day.  
"Ah, that _was _indeed my original reason of coming here, but plans have changed, my dear!" Ayame exclaimed. Mine- wearing a librarian-type outfit- smiled at Tohru, beckoning her to join them. Tohru smiled back, but was still unsure. Suddenly Yuki appeared next to her, resting his hand on her shoulder.  
"Really, it wouldn't hurt, would it, Miss Honda?" Yuki smiled at her. There were smiles all around, except for Kyo, who wasn't all too happy that Ayame had shown up at all. He would have preferred it if they'd been left alone all day.  
"You're right. It wouldn't hurt." She looked back at Ayame, who extended a hand. Tohru took it, and as soon as her fingertips touched Ayame's hand, he whisked her away, Mine following them quickly. She nodded at Yuki and Kyo before slamming the door and disappearing. And again, the two boys were left home, alone.  
"Oh, Tohru! We just _had _to get to you when you were alone! Kyo wouldn't stand for it, and Yuki wouldn't think of it lightly! I'm glad we found you when we did." Ayame said, still not explaining where they were going, or what they were doing. Tohru walked along with him, kind of in a daze. Mine trotted along behind.  
"Eh, um, Ayame? Where... where are we going?" She finally spoke up as he opened a car door for her. He laughed. Tohru laughed too, though she didn't know what was funny.  
Suddenly, Ayame brought a finger to his lips. "It's a secret, for now anyways." He smiled so brightly that Tohru had to relax, and forget that she had no idea where they were heading. Wherever it was, it would be fun with Ayame and Mine.  
"Oh my, Tohru! I'm so excited! It will be loads of fun, it will!" Mine exclaimed, and Ayame hushed her gently.  
"Don't want to reveal too much, my butterfly!" He told her, and she giggled.  
"I can't help it Aya! I'm really very happy to be doing this for a young maiden."  
"I am too, my darling, but we _must _keep quiet until we've reached the shop!" Ayame gasped and Mine put her hands over his mouth. They both turned slowly and looked at Tohru, who smiled.  
"I figured as much. But, I still don't know why we're going there!" She giggled, and thought _Wow, they really are perfect for each other. _  
"Good, good! Then the surprise isn't ruined!" Ayame clasped his hands around Mine's and the two imagined the coming scenario. Tohru watched, both amused and curious. She hadn't the slightest idea of what the 'surprise' was.  
The driver of the car pulled over in front of Ayame's shop, and nodded at Tohru as she got out. "Thank you!" She said as Ayame pulled her away.  
"Welcome back, Tohru!" Mine smiled and pushed open the door with her back, motioning for Tohru to go in. The shop was empty, as it had been the last time Tohru had come with Yuki. Except now it was lighter.  
"I am glad to be back!" Tohru smiled. She wasn't sure what to do now. Ayame bustled in, trains of cloth hanging off him. He pulled Tohru to a sofa against the wall. As they sat down, Ayame smiled.  
"Now, Tohru, would you like to know why we brought you here today, of all days?" He asked, taking her hands gently. She nodded, and he smiled. "Of course you do, dear Tohru!" He waved Mine in. "I'd like to design and make your wedding dress for you." The two smiled at Tohru, who hadn't actually given a passing thought to what she would wear to the wedding.  
"Oh-wa- that's wonderful! Thank you! Thank you so much." She exclaimed after a moment of silence. She'd had to take it in.  
"Don't thank us yet, Tohru. It might not be all that you expect." Mine said, sitting across from the sofa in a red armchair. Ayame smiled at Mine, who closed her mouth.  
"I'm sure that won't be the case. I don't have expectations, so how could you not meet them?" She chuckled when Ayame threw his arms around her.  
"Tohru, Tohru. So kind. So very kind to me." He said. Suddenly, he stood, pointing a finger into the air. "Mine, dear, go take her measurements! We start immediately!" There was barely time to take a breath before Tohru was dragged by the hand into a fitting room. Mine yanked the curtains closed, pulling out a measuring tool.  
"All right! Clothes off!"

XXXX

"Tohru, which shade of white do you like best?" Mine held three fabrics up next to each other.  
"There's more than one?" Tohru replied, squinting at the cloths.  
"And do you want it to be tight all the way down?" Aya turned his head away from his sketchpad to ask.  
"Uhh..." Tohru hadn't thought of that.  
"Or maybe a ball-gown style?" Aya looked back at his work.  
"I don't-" Tohru tried to say, but was interuppted by Mine.  
"How about sparkles?" Mine clutched a lacey- glittery cloth up to Tohru's face.  
"Okay..." She nodded.  
"Strapless?" Aya called over his shoulder.  
"I think so." Tohru rubbed her arm.  
"Layers or skeleton?" Aya called, standing from his chair.  
"Wa- What?" Tohru didn't know what either was.  
"Slow down!" A new, quiet voice interrupted. Someone Tohru didn't recognize stepped out from behind one of the shelves.  
"Ah, Niko. I was wondering where you were. Come help us." Ayame beckoned the young boy, who seemed to shrink behind the shelf. "Niko, it's fine. Tohru couldn't hurt a fly even if it were eating her soul." Ayame exaggerated, motioning again to Niko, who had long black hair.  
"Hi! You're Niko? I'm Tohru. I'm getting married to Ayame's cousin." She bent down, introducing herself to him. He took a step into the light, where Tohru could see him, then jumped back behind the shelf.  
"He's extremely shy. You should try going to him." Mine suggested, putting her hands on Tohru's shoulders to guide her.  
"Niko?" Tohru edged closer to the boy, who still peeked around the corner at her. Tohru crouched at eye level with him and smiled. "I want us to be friends." She extended her hand for Niko to shake, but was taken aback when he jumped onto her and wrapped his arms around her. Surprised, she hugged him back without thinking. "See?" She said, squeezing him. "It's fine."  
"I'm Niko. I don't say or do much. Like a platypus." He said when they released each other. Tohru nodded, still sitting on her knees.  
"This is Tohru, and she's not just getting married to Kyo. She's already family to us. So be nice, Niko." Mine laughed. Tohru smiled, though Niko bolted back into the isles of shelves.  
"We've adopted him. Mine came home with him one day, all bundled up in a towel. He was beaten raw. I think that's why he's shy," Ayame paused, making sure Niko wasn't eavesdropping. "He's a darling though. I wish we could tell everyone, but I'm afraid they'd all come to bombard him. And I don't think that would be very good for him or us." He kept his voice down. Tohru listened, interested. He was such a small boy. "He's ten, not much younger than Kisa and Hiro. I think they'd be good friends, once he opened his heart to them." Ayame seemed so serious about this boy. It was unusual.  
"I hope he does." Tohru whispered. She craned her neck to look at him as he stretched to put something on a higher shelf. He could just barely touch it. So small for his age...  
"Anyways, come tell us what you like and dislike, Tohru." Mine pulled Tohru back to the small sitting area where they had all kinds of fabrics and materials laid out next to each other.  
"O-okay... But, I don't think I can keep up with all the questions you're both asking. I don't even know what half the things are." Tohru giggled when Mine rested her chin on the top of Tohru's head.  
"We'll slow down, as Niko suggested. And explain things more." She said, twirling Tohru's hair. Suddenly, a thought occured to her. "Have you thought of what to do with your hair? Or makeup? Or anything?" She asked, turning Tohru around. Tohru shook her head. Mine sighed. "I'll help you if I must. But what of Kagura? And Kisa? Won't they want to help?" She reminded Tohru. Tohru's eyes widened.  
"Yes, I suppose they will." Tohru nodded. Mine nodded with her.  
"For now let's just focus on the dress, yeah?" Tohru nodded again, and Ayame took her hand and pulled her over to a table he had set up.  
"Here's the design. How do you feel about it, Tohru? It is in fact your wedding, your dress, so it has to be fit for _you._" He said, putting his hand on her back gently. She took a moment to look at the dress.  
"Fit for me..." She murmured. A look of pain flickered across her face as she thought of what she had to say to Ayame. "It's amazing. It's a truly beautiful dress." Ayame smiled.  
"But..." He urged her on. She sighed.  
"I don't think it's fit for me, Ayame. I'm sorry." She looked down, upset. Ayame patted her on the top of the head.  
"It's really okay. As I was sketching it I really couldn't imagine you wearing it. We'll just try again, yes?" He put his finger under her chin and pulled her face up, smiling at her. She smiled too, seeing that he wasn't as upset as she was. It was silly that she was more upset than him, and she was the one doing to insulting- though Ayame had known she wouldn't go for it. "But, Tohru, do tell me, what exactly about it did you not see fit for you? Was it the pin on the bottom? Was it that it's not layered enough?" He started pointing out all the tiny details rapidly, and Mine tried moving around him to stop him, but nothing was stopping him from pointing out all the things he thought were flaws in the design. Tohru backed away slowly as the two yelled at each other about what they thought was wrong with it. She backed all the way into the wall, where something grabbed the bottom of her skirt and tugged- not to pull it off, just to get her attention. She jumped away, startled. She recovered quickly and crouched down, tilting her head to see under the sofa. There, Niko laid on his stomach, laughing.  
"Come play with me!" He begged. Tohru laughed, offering her hand to help him up. "Come play with me!" He repeated. Tohru smiled, not sure what to do. She didn't want to just disappear from Ayame and Mine, but she also wanted to play with Niko, if only to help him open up to people. "Tohru?" He whimpered, tugging on her skirt again. Tohru bent down to eye level with him again.  
"Where do you want to play?" She asked. Niko pointed outside. "In the road?" He shook his head. "Then I don't understand, Niko." He sighed, taking her hand.  
"Follow me. Please Tohru." He was already pulling her outside. As they walked past Aya and Mine, they paused, and Aya smiled, waving her on. Then he went back to arguing with Mine about the flower details on the side.  
"Where are we going?" Tohru asked for the second time that day. Niko motioned at a tree.  
"A place like that." He said quietly, and continued pulling her along.

XXXX

Kagura walked alone along the side of the road. It was unusual for her to be alone like this- she was usually with Momiji nowadays. She happened looked to her right, and was shocked to see Tohru and... and some kid, walking in the opposite direction. She stopped short, and didn't realize it when she started crossing the road to them until someone almost hit her and honked. She stopped, gave the death glare at the driver, who jumped, then ran to catch up to Tohru and the kid.  
"Tohru! Tohru!" She cried, waving her hands. Tohru turned and looked at her, then stopped, crouching and saying something to the kid, who obviously didn't like what she said, then turned back away as the kid dragged her away from Kagura. It looked like Tohru tried to turn to say something, but was moving too fast to even turn her head far enough. Kagura sped up, not wanting to lose sight of Tohru and the boy.  
"Tohru Honda!" Kagura shouted. Tohru flung an arm out behind her as if signalling to Kagura to go away. Kagura paused, then realized where she was. "Aya." She said to herself, then turned around and ran for Ayame's shop.

XXXX

"Niko, that's my friend and Ayame's cousin Kagura. Could we wait for her? She's really nice, and she'll love you for sure!" She smiled, but Niko frowned, and Tohru matched his expression.  
"I just want _you_ to play with me." He pouted. Tohru nodded.  
"It's fine. I will." She said, standing. "Shall we, Niko?" Niko nodded, turning and pulling her away quickly. Tohru wanted to at least tell Kagura that she was playing with Niko, but she couldn't. Not with Niko's grip added to the speed he was walking. He obviously wanted to get as far away from people in general as he could.

XXXX

"Tohru's been kidnapped," Kagura bursted in and shouted, freezing as she saw Ayame and Mine in the middle of something on the sofa. She shielded her eyes, but came in anyways. "By a kid!" She cried. Ayame seemed a bit shocked, until she said this.  
"Oh Kagura, that's Niko." He didn't bother covering up. She had her hands over herr eyes anyways- though Mine was mortified. Kagura really couldn't care less about what they were doing, though she was still embarassed about actually _seeing _it.  
"Niko?" She questioned, sitting at Ayame's small table that held his open sketch pad.  
"Our son." Mine spoke up. Kagura pulled her hands away from her face in shock.  
"_Your son?" _

XXXX

Tohru laughed. Niko was jumping in the air, telling a story about a man who defeated the evil God who cursed all his sons and daughters so they would never have children. The man himself wasn't a child of the God, though he had fallen in love with one of God's daughters, and God had wanted the witches to curse the man too, but they refused to do it without payment, and God killed them.  
"And then," He fell to the ground, panting. "And then the man and God's daughter got married and had seventeen kids, and the kids lived forever because they held pieces of God, the almighty immortal." He stood, bowing. Tohru laughed again.  
"Where do you learn these stories, Niko?" She asked when he came and sat down next to her.  
"Mr. Ayame tells them to me when I'm falling asleep." He replied.  
"Tha-"  
"Tohru?"  
"It's nothing. Are you happy with Ayame and Mine?" She smiled at the tiny boy, who nodded eagerly.  
"Miss Mine is very good at making food. I bet you are too." He said, laughing. "Or maybe you're terrible at it like Mr. Ayame." Tohru laughed too.  
"I'm not sure. Do you have friends, Niko?" She asked. Niko shook his head.  
"I don't need any friends. I have the animals." He reached into his pocket and pulled out tiny figurines. He lined them up- a horse, dragon, pig, sheep, tiger, snake, dog, cat, bird, cow, rabbit, monkey, and finally, a mouse. As Tohru looked at them, she realized just how much Ayame had surrounded Niko with the Sohma's family history, without telling Niko directly why the animals were important. Tohru watched as Niko pulled out two more figurines- a plate with a riceball in the middle and a large, all white man. He started moving the figures around, putting some together, others apart. "The sheep and the tiger have to be together at all times. The dog, dragon, and snake are all good friends. The cow and horse love each other very much, but fight a lot. The cat and mouse fight a lot too, but are good friends with each other and the riceball. The monkey, rabbit, and pig are super close. The bird is great friends with the man, because the man can feed him." He explained as he pushed the animals around. Tohru's eyes were locked on the cat, mouse, and riceball. She smiled.  
"Why can't they all be together?" She asked. Niko froze, looking at her.  
"I was getting to that. Slow down." He said, laughing, then turned back to the animals. "For a long time, the man didn't allow any of the animals to be truly united. Then the riceball almost got eaten by the man, and all the animals fought to bring it back. Then the man didn't care, he was just too hungry to try too hard to keep them apart. He grew to understand that the riceball wasn't food but another animal, pretty much. Mr. Ayame uses words that I forget when he explains it. He's better at it than me. He's better at everything than me. But it's okay! He's an adult, he says, and there's still time for me to learn. And who knows, maybe I'll be better than him at something some da- hey." He rolled his eyes, but hugged Tohru back. "Don't be sad, Tohru. Not for me, anyways. Don't be sad for me. I'm okay." He told her, patting her back.  
"Okay." Was all Tohru could muster. She looked over Niko's shoulder at all the figurines. As he had spoken, he'd pushed them all together. Now they all stood in a group, with the riceball in the middle.

XXXX

"Adopted, of course." Ayame waved a hand in the air. Kagura was steaming.  
"Why didn't you tell anyone!" She said, throwing her hands up.  
"We were afraid that he would be bombarded by the Sohma clan." He replied simply. Kagura stopped pacing and looked at him.  
"I mean... I guess that's a point." She said. Ayame nodded.  
"Anyways, Kagura, what do you think doesn't suit Tohru in that sketch?" He waggled finger at the sketch pad, drawing attention away from himself and onto the design. Kagura turned, and Mine threw herself off of Ayame, grabbing her clothes and running like hell to a dressing room. Ayame put his robe back on just as Kagura turned back around to express what was wrong with it.  
"It's not feminine enough. And it looks... hard. It needs to be softer. And prettier. With more pink. I think. Get rid of that completely..." She went on and on, and as she did, Ayame added and changed things in the design.

XXXX

"Niko, I'm so glad that I met you." Tohru said as they walked back to Ayame's shop, holding hands. "I hope that you get to meet the Sohma's, other than Ayame." She continued when he didn't say anything. "You aren't really as shy as you seem at first." She looked at him. Suddenly he'd fallen silent. "Have I said something wrong?" Tohru asked, worried. She stopped walking, and Niko started worrying for her.  
"No! Not at all! Tohru, don't be upset! Don't be upset with me!" He cried, hugging her. She started, then put her hands on his shoulders.  
"I'm not upset with you, Niko. I couldn't be. You're too cute!" She said, smiling her huge, bright smile that could lift anyone's spirits. Niko's face seemed to relax a little.  
"Good." He sighed. The two turned and saw three people approaching them. Niko gasped, dodging behind Tohru. "Who's that?" He whimpered. Tohru looked behind herself at Niko.  
"That's Kagura. My friend and Ayame's cousin. She's really nice, Niko. Do... do you want to meet her?" Tohru asked gently. Niko looked pitiful, standing there so silently. He sighed, not happy.  
"I don't... but I will." He said. "If you stay with me until she leaves." He added quickly. Tohru agreed instantly, taking his hand. It was her turn that day to pull him behind her quickly, running to meet Ayame, Mine, and Kagura.  
"Tohru!" Kagura hugged Tohru quickly, then bent down and stuck her hand out to Niko. "I'm Kagura. You must be Niko. Want to be friends?" She asked, smiling as kindly as anyone had ever seen Kagura smile. Niko looked at Ayame and Mine, then released Tohru's hand from his own.  
"Y- okay." He answered, shaking her hand tenderly. "Let's be friends." He said more clearly now. Kagura smiled again.  
"Good. Tohru, Aya has something to show you." She waved at Niko to walk with her back to the shop. Mine and Ayame stayed behind to talk with Tohru. As Niko walked away with Kagura, he looked over his shoulder at Tohru and smiled. Tohru's heart melted a little bit.  
"I've made adjustments!" Ayame exclaimed. Tohru nodded, and they started following Niko and Kagura with a silent agreement. Aya showed her the renewed sketch as they walked. Tohru fell in love with it the second she saw it. The design in his sketch had a simple look to it. It fit closely until the waist section, then stayed close but not tight all the way down, with bundles of cloth. It had a ribbon around the waist, with a flower holding the knot. The sleeves that had been added were more like straps, but Tohru loved them. It was truly fit for a princess, at least, the princesses Tohru could think of.  
"Ayame..." Tohru was at a loss of words. She simply couldn't think of anything appropriate to say to him. He laughed.  
"I am finally successful! Mine, let's celebrate!" He cried, taking Mine by the hands and dancing. Mine laughed alone with him, excited as he was. "Tohru!" He stopped, addressing Tohru, who was in a bit of shock. "We need to make it. We will make it. Sadly, no one can be around when I'm creating magic, other than Mine and now Niko. So, though I hate to say so, we must part ways for now." He put an arm around her shoulder. "But we will come kidnap you from those boys again soon!" He laughed, and Tohru smiled.  
"I understand! Oh, but I promised Niko I'd stay until Kagura left..." She looked at Ayame, who laughed.  
"Of course. We can wait a few hours to start." He winked at Mine, who smiled.  
"Of course we can." She repeated his words.

XXXX

Niko didn't show Kagura the animals. Something told him not to. But he still loved having her around. She was another person like him, to play with. When Tohru came in and sat with them though, he pulled her aside and told her it was okay to leave him alone now. She was reluctant, but he said "You need to get back to the poor Yuki, and the stubborn Kyo, right?" He was stealing Ayame's words, as he often did. Tohru couldn't argue with him, and left soon after that.  
She came home to find Yuki asleep on the sofa, and Kyo not too far, on the floor. The television was still on, so she assumed that they'd passed out while watching. She hadn't realized how long she'd been gone. It was almost midnight.  
"Kyo- Kyo?" She felt bad waking him up, but he had to be moved, or he'd wake up next to Yuki. Tohru shuddered at the thought. She sat in the room next to Kyo, looking around, trying to think of what to do. Finally, she caught sight of a pen. She grabbed it, looking at Kyo one last time, hoping he'd woken up. No luck.  
She poked him in the head twice with the pen before he opened one eye. "Tohru?" He murmured, then hugged her. "You're back." He was still groggy, obviously, as he didn't move for a long time, and soon Tohru heard snoring come from him. She didn't know what to do. So she poked him again. He woke up quickly that time. Tohru sighed, pulling him into their room and helping him onto the bed.  
"You might as well be drunk." She whispered, kissing him before he drifted off again. She sighed, sitting down on the bed next to him. She kicked off her shoes, not bothering with her clothes, then laid down and fell asleep.

* * *

**So we've got the dress covered... I think the next chapter will be short, and about what Yuki and Kyo did while Tohru was out with Aya and Mine. ****Should be interesting...**


	16. While she was out

"Yes, Tohru, come with me and Mine! Just, come with us! We don't bite! Plus, it will be good for you to get away from those boys for a while." Ayame gave Tohru a funny look that Kyo didn't like.  
After some time, despite Kyo's arguments, Ayame left with an only half-willing Tohru. Kyo ran to the door, but it was already shut in his face.  
"Dammit! Why'd you let them take her?" Kyo spun around and yelled at Yuki, who shrugged and sat on the sofa.  
"They won't hurt Miss Honda. That's one thing I can't find Aya capable of." Yuki obviously didn't think it was a big deal. "Besides, if you didn't want her to go, why didn't you stop them?" He opened a text book.  
"He's _your _brother!" Kyo shouted. Yuki sighed, ignoring him. "Hey, ratboy! I'm talking here!"  
"Obviously you aren't saying something important, otherwise I would be listening." He retorted. "And I'm not." He added quietly.  
"What'd you say?" Kyo growled. Yuki rolled his eyes.  
"You're too loud. Go away." Yuki refused to feed into Kyo's arguing. Kyo sucked in some air.  
"I'm going out!" He yelled, and slammed the door. Yuki sighed as he stormed back in. "There's no where to go." He mumbled, and sat next to Yuki. Yuki snickered, staring down at the book.  
"So then why don't you help me study?" Yuki sighed, easing up. Kyo froze, glaring at him.  
"Why are you asking me?" Kyo crossed his legs, pushing them down with his hands. Yuki shrugged.  
"A peace treaty." He said, still not looking up. At this point he was just staring at it, not really reading. Or even attempting to.  
Kyo knew what this would come to. Yuki would try to talk about sex again, or at least mention it. Again, it was the last thing Kyo would ever want to talk about with Yuki, or anyone other than Tohru, really. Though Kyo knew it would come to that, he found it nessescary for him to stay on that sofa, next to an ever-awkward Yuki. He sat there, wondering how to respond to this so called _peace treaty. _He dropped his shoulders. "There's no way in Hell." He said quietly. Yuki nodded. He hadn't expected Kyo to actually agree, but he'd been trying to at least give him the chance to. They'd been trying extremely hard to get along, but the tension from all the years of fighting with and hating each other was still there, lingering like a bad smell after you've walked away from it. It was still hard to talk to each other like friends would, and it was awkward to be around each other alone for long periods of time. Neither of them had many expectations about the tension ever going away, especially considering that Kyo knew about Yuki having sex.  
"Fine, then don't distract me." Yuki sighed. Kyo folded his arms, unfolded them, then turned on the television. Yuki glared at him sideways and hit the button to turn it off again. "That's what distracting is." He turned his face back to the book and sighed again. Kyo put his chin in his hand and stared at the wall.  
"Boring." Kyo muttered. Yuki slammed his book shut and turned so that he was facing Kyo.  
"Do you ever shut up," He stood. "Or do I have to lock you in the closet?" Yuki advanced, and Kyo ducked out of his way.  
"Better yet, lock yourself in there!" Kyo found himself getting heated. Lately, he'd tried to control it, but that was for Tohru's sake, and now she wasn't there. As a result, Kyo felt anger bubbling to the surface, anger he'd supressed for a long time.  
"Why would I do that when I can just lock you out?" Yuki said smoothly, and Kyo realized they'd made their way close enough to the door so that one move on Yuki's side could send Kyo out the door. Seeing this at the same time as Kyo, Yuki swung his foot around and kicked the door open, shoving Kyo in the general direction. Kyo, predicting this, countered it by throwing his weight forward as Yuki shoved him. He fell onto Yuki, and they both hit the ground, hard. A thud echoed through the apartment, and Kyo scrambled off Yuki on all fours. "How did you manage to send both of us down, idiot cat?" Yuki mumbled, pushing himself off the floor. Kyo was steaming.  
"Shut up! You fell too, you know!" Kyo yelled. He opened his mouth to say more, but a knock on the door interrupted him. Yuki scoffed, moving past Kyo towards the door. He opened it, and there stood Kundra, Yuki's neighbor downstairs. She smiled, peering past him at Kyo.  
"Oh, hello Mr. Sohma. And other Sohma male. Is everything okay?" She furrowed her brows sympathetically. Yuki assumed she was implying that she had an obligation to check on them.  
"Y-yeah. Everything is fine. It's okay." Yuki returned her smile. She frowned.  
"I'm _so_ sorry. I'm intruding. It's just, I heard that really, really, really loud thud and I thought there was fighting going on, and you know how we have that policy against fighting! Heh." The daughter of the landlord smiled again. She lived in the apartment below Yuki, and had the best hearing out of anyone Yuki had ever met- like a hawk. Also, though she wore glasses, her eye-sight was so fine that she would notice an unwatered plant from Yuki's door nearly every time she appeared there, which was close to bi-monthly. She carried out all of the buildings rules and regulations, like a police officer. _The nicest officer I've ever met. _Yuki had thought when he first realized that she was similar to the enforcers. Kundra had bleached hair, and often tamed the frizziness of it by pulling a headband down over it.  
"It's fine. This idiot tripped and fell on me. Luckily, nothing or no one was damaged. Thank you for concerning yourself with our clumsiness." Yuki lied. Kundra seemed satisfied for the moment, and relaxed a bit.  
"I saw that girl leaving with you brother and his girlfriend. She didn't look very excited. They did, of course." She noted, and Yuki sighed quietly.  
"Yes... my brother... how should I say this, he's a very extravagant person, and maybe it wasn't so bright to let Tohru go with him, but I have no doubts that she will be completely safe with him." He convinced her. Kundra looked confused.  
"I thought your brothers name was Ayame?"  
"It is."  
"Then who's Tohru?" Kundra asked. Yuki suppressed a smile.  
"Miss Tohru was the girl you saw leaving with him." He explained, and Kundra seemed to slowly understand.  
"Oh my god... I am _so _sorry!" She cried, covering her mouth with her hands. Yuki smiled smally.  
"I don't know why you're apologizing to _me. _It's really none of my buisness, even though Miss Tohru is a very dear friend of mine." Kundra looked mortified. "It's really fine, though if you want to apologize, seeing as Miss Tohru isn't here, you should tell _him._" Yuki motioned at a now very awkward Kyo, who paced back and forth across the room, trying to figure out what to do while Yuki talked to this woman. When he noticed Yuki pointing at him though, he froze, and tried as hard as possible to appear relaxed and normal, though he hadn't followed the conversation at all. Kundra pushed past Yuki and went to Kyo, who, taken off guard, backed away and fell over the sofa. Kundra, not sure how to react to this, made a strange face.  
"I'm so so sorry for insulting Miss Tohru. I didn't know her name. Please, forgive me." She bowed, turned and hurried past Yuki. "Thanks to you for clearing it up, Mr. Sohma!" She called over her shoulder. Yuki waved politely as she turned onto the stairs, then shut the door and sunk against it. Talking to that woman, even for a few minutes, as he had, tired him out beyond belief.  
"Wha- when did she insult Tohru?" Kyo asked, finally righting himself. Yuki stalked over to him and hit him hard on the top of the head. He sat down, exhausted.  
"Idiot." Was all Yuki could muster. Kyo didn't argue with him this time. He just pulled himself up next to Yuki and stretched out.  
"You never had any intention of studying for real, did you?" Kyo said, having finally figured it out. Yuki shook his head. "Right."  
"How could I, with you here? I never expected to get to study." Yuki huffed. Kyo didn't objec to this either.

XXXX

Kyo's predictions were right.  
"Have you talked to her about it yet?" Yuki asked after about an hour of them laying around, staring at the TV. He reached forward and muted it, looking at Kyo mischieviously. Kyo, who had his legs folded on the sofa and his hands clasping his calves, looked at him, horrified. "Well, have you?" Yuki urged. Kyo hung his head.  
"Why do you want to know- this is prying, prying!" Kyo warned. Yuki rolled his eyes, waiting for Kyo to answer his question. Taking the queue, Kyo sighed, and shook his head. He was purely mortified. "No," he prayed that the conversation wouldn't last longer. "No I haven't." Yuki put a folded hand to his chin, staring out the window thoughtfully.  
"Interesting."  
"And just what the hell is that supposed to mean?"  
"Nothing, nothing." Yuki chuckled, like bells. Kyo buried his face into his hands, disgusted that he'd let the conversation go on this long. "Are you planning on talking to her about it?" Yuki asked. He was obviously enjoying himself thuroughly. Kyo tossed his head back, letting out a groan.  
"I don't know! I mean... I guess eventually, I'll have to. She said she wants kids. She said, that she wants kids. Does she even know- she does, right? I mean, she has to. Nobody... but then, she didn't even know about DVD's until Momiji taught her." Kyo held his head in his hands. Yuki smiled to himself, seeing Kyo like this.  
"She might not know..."  
"You're seriously not helping." Kyo spat, now cradling himself on the sofa. Yuki stared at him, an amused smile on his face.  
"Only telling the truth now." Yuki shrugged. "What will you do if she doesn't?" He tilted his head, again smiling as the thought crossed Kyo's mind- a terrified look spreading across the orange haired boy's face.  
"I have no clue." Kyo stared at his feet. Yuki let a laugh ripple out of him. "What's so funny, bastard?" Kyo growled, making Yuki laugh again.  
"I'm enjoying myself. Is that a crime?" Yuki said innocently. Kyo shook his head.  
"It's not," Kyo forced himself to say. "It's just awkward."  
"What is?"  
"Damn, Yuki. You really are mean spirited now."  
"What about it?"  
"Ah, go to Hell." Kyo muttered, looking away from the ever-awkward Yuki.  
"Oh, I'm going there anyways. Tell me more." Yuki cupped his chin in his hand, leaning on one knee.  
"You're acting like Shigure." Kyo pointed out, and this jerked Yuki back from his streak. He shuddered, and Kyo nodded. "That's what I thought."  
"If I ever act like that again, hit me." Yuki put a hand on his forehead. Kyo didn't hesitate before agreeing, and a pact was made between them that they would never talk like that, about sex, again, unless it was aboslutely nessescary, which both of them silently hoped would never be the case.  
After the promise was made, Yuki unmuted the TV, and they sat quietly, seeing, but not truly watching. Kyo's head was dizzy, and Yuki was, once again, bored. The thought of calling, or even going to Machi's occured to him, but he felt he didn't have the energy. So they sat, and eventually, Kyo fell asleep. Yuki, again, didn't have the energy to move, or move Kyo, so he gave up and let sleep wash over him.

XXXX

When Tohru finally came home, it was dark. Yuki felt himself being woken up, and opened one eye. In the darkness, he could see Tohru trying as hard as she could not to fall over- Kyo was leaning on her, more than half asleep. Yuki was almost tempted to help her- she looked pitiful, and no doubt she was tired, maybe even more so than he and Kyo were, as she'd been with Ayame and Mine all day, most likely being active. However, Yuki was tired, and only awake for a moment after Tohru closed the door to Yuki's old room, now hers and Kyo's. He drifted back into sleep, listening to Tohru whisper loudly at Kyo. _You might as well be drunk..._


	17. Happy Birthday, Momiji

Tohru, Kyo, and Yuki piled into Kureno's car. Arisa sat in the front, next to him, and turned around to greet them when they sat down. "Hey, Tohru! Are you excited to see everyone?" She asked. Tohru sat in between Yuki and Kyo, and smiled.  
"Of course! I haven't seen everyone at the same time for a while. It's great that you'll be there!" She grinned at Arisa, who glanced at Kureno. Kureno said nothing. "Oh, Yuki, is Machi going to meet us there?" Tohru asked, and Yuki shook his head.  
"I asked her to come, but she said she had no interest in going to the main house." He replied, smiling at the thought of Machi amongst the Sohma's. The smile faded as he thought of how chaotic it would be.  
"I can see why." Kyo scoffed. As usual, he wasn't happy to be going to the main house. Tohru reached for his hand.  
The reason for going was that it was Momiji's birthday. Tohru hadn't even given them a chance to say no before she turned sternly to the boys and said "We're all three going," Momiji had come to invite them himself, and he'd seemed so excited, it made Kyo want to puke.  
"I hope Momiji will like it." Tohru worried, holding up a blue paper bag. Arisa shook her head.  
"He's Momiji. I'm sure the kid'll love it. He loves everything." She assured Tohru. _Especially from you. _She added to herself. Tohru nodded, knowing she was right.  
"She's right, Miss Honda." Yuki smiled, making Tohru smile back. Kyo rolled his eyes.  
"I guess so." Tohru answered them both.

XXXX

"Tohru!" Momiji sprang up when they walked in. He ran to Tohru and took her hands. "You came!" He smiled.  
Tohru smiled back. "Of course, Momiji." She tucked her arm in Kyo's, nodding at nothing in particular. Arisa took her hand and pulled her away from Kyo to greet Saki- who came with Kazuma. Kyo threw his hand out after her, but she was already too far for him to reach. He watched as she was pulled from his grasp once again.  
"Damn." He muttered. Momiji tipped up on his toes, leaning closer to Kyo.  
"If you want to be near her, then be near her." He said, nudging Kyo towards the three girls. Kyo scowled, but was eager to get away from Momiji, and closer to Tohru, so he edged his way over to them. Unfortunatly for him, he was at the Sohma residence, and Shigure was there. He was stopped halfway across the room.  
"Hello, Kyo." Shigure said in an uncharacteristicly deep voice. Kyo looked around desperately for someone to help him, but Tohru was deep in conversation with Arisa and Saki, and Yuki was being pestered by Ayame and Haru. "How are you and Tohru?" He asked, a devilish grin creeping onto his face. A shudder went down Kyo's spine.  
"You just saw us the other day. We're the same as then." Kyo stood back, rubbing the back of his neck. He looked at Tohru again, and their eyes caught. Kyo put all the force he could into that eye contact, pleading that Tohru come help him. Alas, she simply smiled, waving quickly before going outside with Arisa, Saki, and Momiji. Kisa padded after them earnestly, followed by Hiro. Kyo sighed, looking back at Shigure, who bent over slightly to get closer to Kyo's face.  
"Tell me. Are you two planning on having children?" Shigure leaned closer, and Kyo leaned backwards. He looked around again, and found a bored looking Rin staring back at him. He pleaded with his eyes for her to come rescue him, but found no such luck as she scowled and turned away. He closed his eyes, looking again at Shigure. "Do you understand how children are- ow, ow, ow!" He winced as Akito came up behind him and pulled his hair sharply.  
"Come, leave him alone." She nagged. Kyo thanked her silently, then darted outside to find his fiance.  
"Oh, Kyon. Won't you come join us in trying to find out if Yuki is a virgin?" Ayame called, waving him over. Kyo startled, jumping backwards. He met Yuki's eyes and saw the same pleading look in his eyes as he had himself only seconds before. Kyo sighed, walking over to Ayame, looking like a wet cat.  
"Ayame," He started, "Have you seen Tohru? She ran off, and now I can't find her." He looked around as if she were hiding in a plant. Ayame thought for a moment, then gasped.  
"I'll bet she's gone to find Mine and thank her! Oh, she wouldn't know that Mine stayed home with-" Ayame put the tips of his fingers over his mouth.  
"Yeah," Kyo rolled his eyes. "I'm sure that's where she's gone. Could you help me find her?" Ayame threw his hand out.  
"Of course, dear Kyo! Come, Hatsuharu, we must find the young lady!" He exclaimed, tugging Haru away. He waved at Yuki as he was dragged away, bored. Kyo nodded at Yuki, then slid out the door.  
"Tohru!" Kyo called, turning a corner. She was alone, Arisa and Saki disappeared. She didn't look frightened, or threatened, or anything like that. She looked peaceful, standing silently, hands clasped in front of her heart, staring at the sky. Kyo walked to her, hugging her from behind. She didn't need to look to know it was him. "Hey, why didn't you look?" He asked, laughing.  
"I didn't need to. I knew it was you." She answered, turning and hugging him from the front. He shook his head.  
"What if I'd been Yuki?" Kyo asked, kissing her on the cheek. She sighed, content with how things were now. It had been trouble free for a few weeks now. So much had happened all at once, and it had been extremely stressful for the two. Now, though they were living with Yuki for the time being, it was stress-free.  
"You're not Yuki." She whispered into his shirt. He laughed quietly. She was right.  
"You're right. I'm not." He told her, thinking out loud. She sighed again, turning her head upwards. Kyo kissed her.  
"After we're married, let's not bother Yuki anymore." She said when he pulled away. He nodded. It would be best if they left Yuki's crammed apartment as soon as they could.  
"Should we try to move closer to everyone?" He asked, following Tohru's eyes up to the stars. Tohru stood back, her chin tilted upwards. They stood quietly like that for a moment before Tohru answered.  
"I think we should." She looked back at Kyo, and smiled. A call came from the building everyone was in.  
"Tohru!" Momiji ran up to them. "You ran off, we couldn't find you! Come inside, come inside!" He pulled her back, holding her hand with both of his. Tohru grabbed Kyo's hand as she was pulled past him, and tugged him along.  
"Ah, Tohru," Shigure put his hand on her back and moved her farther away from Kyo when they got inside. He grinned at Kyo quickly before guiding her to Arisa and Saki. Kyo rolled his eyes and followed.  
"Kyo, could you come help us?" Yuki intercepted him halfway across the room. He smiled, and nodded his head slyly at Shigure, who was waiting to attack Kyo. Kyo noticed this, and nodded at Yuki. The two went out of the room to find Haru. Shigure looked disappointed as they left. He was looking forward to pestering them.  
"What's up with Shigure?" Kyo asked Yuki when they were safely out of hearing range. Yuki sighed, rubbing his temple.  
"Since we are both currently in a relationship, he finds the need to know every small detail of it." Yuki didn't sound mad, just tired.  
"I wish he'd just leave us alone." Kyo kicked the wall gently. Yuki sank against it.  
"You're not the only one." Yuki agreed.  
Someone came around the corner, so quietly that neither Kyo or Yuki heard them coming. "Ah, Kyo. Yuki. Onee is looking for you two. Come." Kisa took Kyo's hand and pulled him gently back towards the room where everyone was. Yuki wavered a moment, then followed them silently.  
"Kyo, you disappeared. Where'd you go- is everything alright?" Tohru held his hands, looking into his eyes. He froze for a second, then smiled.  
"It's fine. I went to help Yuki with something. What about you?" He pushed some hair out of her face and kissed her. She couldn't help smiling.  
"Nothing's wrong." She said, turning around and walking back to Arisa and Saki. She still held Kyo's hand. "You're not getting away so easily this time, Kyo." She laughed. Kyo melted, hearing her laugh like that. She was so cute.  
"Tohru! Tohru! Come eat cake!" Momiji called her over. Tohru looked at Kyo, wondering if he'd mind. He sighed, waving her on. She didn't need to ask, for him to know why she looked at him like that. He smiled and went to the table with the relatively small cake on it to join Tohru and Momiji. "Kyo, you want cake?" Momiji asked, immediately holding up a plate with a moderately large piece on it. Kyo leaned away from it, but after a second, took it from Momiji.  
"Fine." He grumbled, taking a bite. Tohru laughed at the face Kyo made- surprised, as the cake wasn't half as bad as he thought it would be. It was huge, the cake. Almost ridiculously so.  
"I came over and helped Kisa make the cake yesterday, Kyo." Tohru admitted. He had noticed that she was gone, but assumed she was with Yuki, who had also disappeared. Kyo didn't like that Tohru had gone without him knowing, but he chose not to say anything, and looked away from Tohru and Momiji.  
"I didn't know she came at all, Kyo! I would have told you if I had, you know that right?" Momiji apologized. Kyo waved him off.  
"I know, I know. It's... I guess it's fine." He mumbled, and shook his head.  
"That's good. Because she wasn't asking for your approval." Hatori made an appearance, resting his hand on Kyo's shoulder. Kyo jumped, startled by Hatori's sudden presence. Hatori let a small smile crawl onto his face, then moved on to control Ayame and Shigure's annoying banter. Tohru fidgetted, bothered by what Hatori said.  
"Eh-ah, I. Uh... I meant to tell you, but you were sleeping. I'm sorry! I should have waited for you to wake up, I guess. Or at least left a note to tell you where I was going! I'm sorry." She threw her hands around. Kyo grabbed her hands and chuckled.  
"Tohru," He sighed. "It's fine. I'm not- I'm not mad. Just tell me next time, alright?" Tohru nodded eagerly.  
"Right, of course! I will. Tell you, I mean." She smiled pleasantly, then turned to Momiji. "I don't think I've said it yet- happy birthday, Momiji." Momiji's eyes lit up.  
"Thanks Tohru! You know, Yuki's birthday is up next! We should have another party for him!" He spouted, and Tohru smiled. She was fine with it, but...  
"Momiji, please don't bring that up again. I would really prefer if we didn't, have any celebration, or even recognition, for my birthday." Yuki came up behind him, glowering. Momiji jumped behind Tohru, frightened.  
"Okay, Yuki. We won't recognize the day that you were born! I promise, alright!" Momiji exclaimed, waving his hands back and forth. Tohru smiled nervously, nodding with Momiji. Kyo rolled his eyes.  
"Come on Tohru, let's go talk to... someone else." Kyo grabbed Tohru's hand and pulled her away. He was annoyed with Yuki and Momiji. He pulled her into an empty hallway, and sank against the wall. "Argh, I hate being around them all at once!" He yelled. Tohru smiled, but quickly wiped it off her face and crouched next to him.  
"I know you do. I guess this is my fault for forcing you to come. That was stupid, wasn't it?" She hit herself in the head gently, laughing nervously again. Kyo sighed, shaking his head at her.  
"It's not your fault. I could have stayed at the apartment if I really wanted to. I guess... I don't know. I guess maybe I wanted to make you happy." He rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed. Tohru smiled despite herself. Kyo frowned, touching his knuckles to her forehead. "Don't laugh." She covered her mouth, but kept laughing. "Hey, don't laugh." This time she made no effort to muffle the laughter that emitted from her mouth. Kyo threw himself on top of her, hugging her roughly. "I said don't laugh at me!" He pulled her into an extremely tight hug and laughed into her shoulder.  
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. It's just that it was so sweet of you to think like that. I love you, Kyo." She smiled at him. He held her at arms length.  
"I- ah, I love you too." He said, waiting a second before kissing her. They were both blushing softly.  
They were interrupted by a loud crashing noise in the other room. Tohru looked at Kyo quickly before moving away. She entered the room before him, and something slammed into her immediately after. She flew across the room, watching everyone watch her sail. She thought _This could be worse, right? _before landing right.  
On.  
The.  
Cake.  
It splattered into the faces of Yuki, Shigure, Ritsu, and Akito, who were talking about vegetables. Tohru sank into the cake, unsure of what to do. She looked around desperately for something to help pull her out, and saw what had sent her flying in the first place. She and Hatsuharu made eye contact as Rin leaned over him, growling something inaudible to everyone else. Rin fled outside, and Haru followed her, not bothering to help Tohru off the cake. Tohru sighed, pulling herself onto her hands, but slipped, falling back into the mess. Someone laughed, and she deflated, turning red as a tomato. The laughing grew louder, until it was surely more than just one person. Tohru brought herself to look up, and met Kyo's orange eyes smiling at her. She whipped her head around, looking at all the people who were laughing. Yuki, of course, was covering his mouth with one hand, but was obviously laughing. Shigure chuckled (though Akito looked unamuzed), and Ritsu fell to his knees laughing. Though Haru and Rin were no where to be seen, Momiji ran to Tohru to help pull her out. He grabbed her hand and yanked, but ended up face-planting into the cake himself.  
"Mmm." He said, pulling his head out and licking his lips. Tohru finally lost it, and wormed her way into a standing position. She took Momiji's hand and pulled him up, so they were both standing, covered in the wreckage. Momiji started laughing, and Kisa appeared, a bored looking Hiro at her side.  
"Onee... you're covered in cake." Kisa said, in all seriousness. Tohru crouched down, nodding. She extended her arms, and without thinking, Kisa hugged her. Kisa immediately backed off, grimacing at her arms. "Now we both are." She smiled quickly at Tohru then turned and hugged Hiro. He yelled out, but slipped and fell. Of course, Kisa fell on top of him, laughing.  
At this point, the only people not laughing were Akito, Hatori, Kureno, Saki, and Kyo, who'd recovered quickly and went to help Tohru away from the ruined birthday treat. He guided her towards a bathroom, and grabbed a towel. Tohru kept laughing as he wiped the cake from her face.  
"You're a mess." He said, smiling as she gasped for air in between laughs.  
"I know! I know! I've ruined the cake that we worked so hard to make! I feel terrible. Is it bad that I'm laughing?" She shook her head, turning away from Kyo, who gave up trying to clean her. He leaned against the sink, watching her laugh. She sighed, finally, and turned back to him. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you where I was going yesterday. I didn't want to wake you." She said, putting her right hand on his shoulder. He grabbed her hands.  
"I already said it was fine, didn't I?" He said, laughing as a chunk of cake fell from Tohru's hair. She flicked it away, and it splatted on the wall. She cringed, wiping it off the wall quickly.  
"I should go help clean it up, shouldn't I?" She squished the chunk in between her fingers, and left Kyo with the icing-covered towel to help clean the mess.

XXXX

"Momiji...?" Tohru called into an empty room. Everyone had moved outside to let the servants clean while Kyo and Tohru were in the bathroom, but Tohru didn't know that. She walked to the gathering of servants and asked where everyone went.  
"Outside, girl." One servant snickered. Tohru ignored it and nodded, walking away. She knew they were probably angry with her, seeing her still with cake on her clothes. She decided to let them clean it alone, as they most likely didn't want her around. It wasn't hard to figure out that the servants at the main Sohma property didn't much like change, or outsiders, even though Akito didn't view Tohru as an outsider anymore. No one did, really, except for the old servants.  
"Yo, Tohru, we're all out here. Come on!" Arisa stuck her head in and beckoned. Tohru joined her with out hesitation. Only after the door had been closed did she think to get Kyo and tell him. She let Arisa know, then scrambled to open the door, and hurried past the mean servants.  
"Kyo, everyone's moved outside. Come join us?" She asked. He nodded, taking her hand. He'd been trying to properly get rid of the cake-covered towel, but instead gave up and tossed it in the sink. Now, he leaned carefully away from the servants, knowing that he too, was not liked amongst the Sohma servants. The couple walked outside, joining the party once again. Arisa met Tohru and linked her arm through Tohru's, smiling.  
"Tohru, everyone got a kick out of that explosion you made!" She laughed again, imagining seeing Tohru fly across the room. "But seriously though," A gloomy presence seemed to take place around Arisa. "You're okay, right? Not hurt? Because if you got hurt because of that no good Hatsu-"  
"It's okay! The only thing that got hurt was the cake." Tohru interrupted. She didn't want Arisa to think Haru had caused any trouble. The gloomy air cleared as Arisa smiled at Tohru.  
"Good. I'm glad, then." Saki watched theem from across the room. Arisa broke from Tohru and joined Saki in observing the group quietly. Saki leaned into Arisa.  
"Is it just me, or have the electromagnetic waves that come from the Sohma's relaxed, like the ocean after a storm?" She asked, and Arisa slapped her back.  
"It's just you, Hana." She laughed. Saki nodded solemnly. They moved to stand with Kureno and Kazuma.

XXXX

Somewhere along the line, Momiji and Kisa had taken up running to someone, asking something, writing it down, and moving on. Now, they ran to Tohru and Kyo, and Momiji let a broad smile fill his face with light.  
"You're still covered in cake, Tohru!" He laughed, looking at his own arms, and Kisa's. They also had remnants of the cake on their clothes. "Hey, hey! How 'bout this?" He spun around, still laughing as crumbs flew off of him. Tohru smiled, meeting his eyes.  
"So then... you're not upset? That it's ruined?" She asked, trying to understand. Momiji shook his head.  
"I... I'm upset that I can't eat any more of it, but the look on Akito's face when h- she got hit made up for everything ever!" He remembered, scrunching his face up at the thought. Kisa giggled, listening to their conversation. She rocked back and forth on her heels, glancing around to see where Hiro was. She saw him being pestered by Ayame and Shigure, and broke from Momiji, Tohru, and Kyo happily to help him. She waved at Tohru, then ran.  
Kyo snickered. "Yeah, serves Akito right for all the things she did." Tohru and Momiji looked at him, a bit surprised. Most everyone had forgotten, but obviously Akito's previous state was still on Kyo's mind. More like, it was one of the only things he thought about. He knew no one would ever forgive Akito, except for maybe Shigure, but that eventually, they wouldn't live in fear of Akito anymore. It went without saying that even though the curse was lifted, the members of the zodiac still felt a bit trapped by Akito. Everyone tried to put it out of their minds and live on, but Kyo couldn't just drop it.  
"Maybe so," Momiji agreed. Then he laughed. "I just hope it didn't make her too mad. And I also hope Haru and Rin don't fight again." He said, rocking on his toes. Even though they were both part of the zodiac, Momiji and Rin hadn't had much experience with eachother, and Momiji didn't fully understand that Rin and Haru were _always _fighting. That or having sex.  
"I hope so too. I think that's hard for them though." Tohru responded. Kyo looked away from them, bored. He sighed, and Tohru's attention swayed to him. "What's wrong?" She asked. Kyo waved his hand at her.  
"Nothing's wrong. I'm just ready to go." He shifted his weight from his left foot to his right, so that his side was touching Tohru's. Cake smeared onto his pale brown jacket and he jumped back, making Tohru giggle. He frowned, but stood next to her again.  
"Oh, well, um- we came with Yuki, Uo, and Kureno, and we don't really have any way of getting home without them... so, I guess we're stuck." Tohru looked at Arisa, who was describing in detail one of her nights with her gang to Ritsu, who looked horrified by her accounts. She caught Tohru's eye, excused herself to Ritsu- who made no move to keep conversation with her- and sauntered over to Tohru and Kyo. Momiji tilted his head.  
"Are you leaving?" He asked, and Tohru shook her head immediately, though Arisa and Kyo gave her a questioning look. Tohru looked at them, then back at Momiji.  
"A-anyways, not at this very second..." Tohru corrected herself. Arisa stretched, touching the small of her back.  
"I'm ready to hit it when you guys are. Ritsu isn't any fun." She sighed, trying to find Kureno among the Sohma's. She found the top of his head, and pulled Tohru towards him to let him know they were ready to go. Tohru waved at Momiji as she flew past him. Kyo sat on the edge of the porch, waiting. Momiji followed his example, putting his head in his hands and looking at Kyo.  
"How are you, Kyo? Is Tohru good?" He asked. Kyo glanced at him sideways.  
"Why don't you ask her yourself?" He muttered, looking away again. Momiji smiled.  
"That was such a 'Kyo' thing to say."  
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"  
"Mm." Momiji smiled, watching all of the Sohma's move, not move, talk, yell, etc. "Simply that." He laughed. Kyo sighed, wondering what was taking Arisa and Tohru so long.  
"Anyways, why are you asking me these things?" He wondered out loud. Momiji stood, seeing Tohru and Arisa coming before Kyo did.  
"Just wondering! Besides, even if Tohru was upset about something, she's never tell the truth about it, would she?" Momiji put a finger to his lips and smiled slyly, then met Arisa, Tohru, and Kureno halfway. "Leaving?" He asked innocently, and Arisa hit his head gently, smiling.  
"Yeah, we're takin' off. Happy birthday, Momiji." She said, and Momiji smiled.  
"Thank you, Uo!" Tohru could tell that Momiji's heart swelled with happiness when Arisa said that.  
"Ah, yes. Um, happy birthday, Momiji." Tohru bowed, and it was Momiji's turn to pat her head.  
"You have to come back and see me, okay, okay?" He said, smiling again when she straightened. She nodded without hesitation.  
"Of course!" She cried. Momiji hugged her affectionately.  
"Good! We have to _play_!" He said to the top of her head, still hugging her, looking down. She laughed.  
"Momiji, you're tall." She laughed again as Momiji released her. He nodded, still smiling. Kyo rubbed the back of his own neck.  
"Yeah, happy birthday, brat." He said, ruffling Momiji's hair. _He, _unlike Tohru, was still taller than Momiji.  
Kureno, being a man of few words, simply nodded at Momiji and guided Arisa through the house and out the front gate, leaving Tohru and Kyo to get Yuki and meet them 'outside'.  
After they collected Yuki - who was as ready as Kyo and Arisa to leave - and said goodbye to everyone, they met Kureno and Arisa outside and again, piled into the car.  
When Yuki, Tohru, and Kyo got back to Yuki's apartment, though they'd only been gone a few hours, Kyo and Yuki collapsed on the sofa. Kyo glared at Yuki.  
"Why are you so tired? You just stood around."  
"And you did anything different?" Yuki retorted. Tohru started worrying.  
"Ah, eh, um." She stuttered, until Kyo smiled at her. The smile he gave her told her that everything was okay, and that their banter was purely friendly. She returned it, and Kyo stood, walking with her to their room. He didn't bother changing, but instead thumped onto the bed. Tohru slipped off her skirt, not sure what to do with it, as it now had crusty, dried out icing on it. She whipped her head around, trying to find what to do with it, along with her shirt. Finally, sighing, she laid it carefully on the wastebasket, then her shirt, and her bra, and put on her pajamas. She worked on putting her hair down as she sat on the bed. Kyo stretched, wrapping an arm around her waist, and slowly pulled her close until she was pressed against him fully. She tensed for a second, blinking, then relaxed, half of her hair still braided. She didn't even mind it, for once. She was with Kyo, that was all that mattered to her.  
"Hey." He hugged her tighter, and she turned her head to look at him. "Are you okay?" He asked. She furrowed her brow, and nodded.  
"Why wouldn't I be? I'm so... I'm so happy, right now. I have Kyo, and I have Yuki, and I have Uo and Hana, and all of the Sohma's, and I have no reason to be upset at all. Why... what made you ask?"  
"Wha...! Nothing. Forget I asked. I just... I wanted to make sure. I guess." Kyo said back. Tohru giggled silently.  
"Did you know," She smiled to herself. "That I love you, Kyo?"  
"Mm?" Kyo moaned, and let his head fall against Tohru's shoulder. She didn't laugh. She didn't smile. She just closed her eyes, and Tohru Honda slept peacefully.


End file.
